


Time Marches Forward

by toomanyunfinishedfics



Series: New Game+ [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: (Both of those warnings are for chapter 16), AkeShu (one-sided), And remember when I said there was only going to be brief appearances from other characters, Descriptions of past deaths, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, MakoHaru (background), New Game Plus, Okay last time I made Akira suffer, Probably not much though since I'm only capable of writing Akira and Ryuji, Spoilers, The story is going to hop skip and jump through the entire game, There's going to be brief appearances of other characters here and there, Underage Drinking, Update: Hey remember when I thought this was going to be just a few snippets, Yutaba (background), for one part in chapter 9 in case that bothers anyone, implied suicidal thoughts, so now it's time to give him the happy end he deserves, yeah me too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2019-06-17 11:09:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 110,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15460056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toomanyunfinishedfics/pseuds/toomanyunfinishedfics
Summary: Just as it had one hundred times past, time keeps ticking towards the day that will determine whether or not Akira can finally break free of his fate. This time, however, Akira has a new symbol of hope by his side--with a smile that could outshine the sun and a heart that was big enough to take in all of Akira with room to spare. Perhaps this time, he would finally….(Sequel to Only A Matter Of Time)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A few people requested a sequel/continuation for my fic Only A Matter Of Time, so I decided to write a few chronological snippets for it! You’ll definitely have to read that one first though, since the first chapter of this takes place pretty much right where Only A Matter Of Time left off. Enjoy!

Ryuji became aware of exactly three things when he was roused from his sleep:

1) The sun was way too damn bright,

2) This did not feel like his bed at all,

and 3) There was hair in his face and a tangle of limbs holding him in place.

(Okay, maybe that was technically four things. _Whatever_.)

Cracking an eye open blearily, Ryuji immediately identified the black, curly mess that his face had been shoved into as Akira’s head--and with that, the memories of last night all flooded back, leaving Ryuji feeling dizzy as he tried to sort through everything he’d accepted without a second thought hardly a few hours ago.

It was hard to believe that someone as calm and collected as Akira could have such an extreme breakdown, but considering everything he’d told Ryuji, it had been a long time coming: after all, reliving the same year almost a _hundred times_  would be strenuous on anyone, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Ryuji didn’t think he’d be able to handle it at all. He didn’t even want to imagine having to handle something so horrible.

Shaking his head slightly, Ryuji disentangled himself from Akira just enough to take a proper look at him, frowning as he saw that Akira’s once-peaceful smile had faded into a slight frown, pinched brows and all.

On the one hand, Akira needed sleep badly--he had no idea how he (or anyone) hadn’t noticed sooner, but there were hints of dark bags under his eyes that were covered with what Ryuji assumed to be some kind of makeup, and his body was more wound up than a metal spring--but on the other hand, was it even worth it for Akira to sleep if he was just having some kind of nightmare?

Ryuji tentatively moved a hand up to Akira’s head, playing with his hair a bit like he remembered Akira enjoying last night and watching in relief as his facial muscles slowly began to relax.

Unfortunately, this also seemed to draw Akira out of his slumber for better or for worse, and soon Ryuji was met with a pair of dark grey eyes staring up at him with an unfocused gaze.

“Hey, uh… g’morning?”

Ryuji’s tentative attempt at a greeting was left unanswered as Akira blinked slowly, his gaze remaining unfocused as he weakly tried to sit up.

“Uh… you good?” Ryuji sat up as well, his expression quickly melting into concern.

“... When…?”

Akira moved a hand up to grip his head, making Ryuji’s concern grow.

“When what?” he asked, before a thought hit him--one that made his heart sink as a few more pieces began clicking into place in his mind.

(It wasn’t just that Akira wasn’t a morning person… all those times he’d seen Akira spaced out in the mornings by the train or in front of school, maybe that had been him trying to get his memories straight, and no one had ever realized-- and they’d all _laughed_ , himself included, _teasing_ Akira, and Akira had laughed _with_ them--)

Ryuji scrambled for his phone, pulling it out and opening up the calendar for Akira to see. “It’s Sunday, May 8th. D… d’you remember anything about last night?”

Akira grimaced slightly, but he gave Ryuji a nod, which was enough to prompt a relieved sigh from him.

“... Sorry,” Akira murmured, his gaze clearing slightly. “I… wasn’t in my right mind last night. I apologize for dumping all of that on you, and--”

Ryuji scowled, setting his phone aside so he could grip Akira’s shoulders with both hands. “Dude, we’ve already been over this, but I’ll say it as many times as you need for it to get through that thick skull ‘a yours-- _I want to help you._ You don’t gotta apologize ‘cuz I’m _glad_ you told me everything.”

Seeing that Akira still looked hesitant, Ryuji huffed and lightly pushed him down on the bed before shifting to pin him down, prompting a startled yelp from Akira as he looked up at Ryuji in surprise.

“I also told’ja today was gonna be about you relaxing and not thinking about anything, so how about you start working on that?”

“But--”

Any protest Akira was going to give was immediately silenced by Ryuji’s lips against his own, and he couldn’t help his eyes fluttering closed as he leaned into the kiss, completely forgetting about putting up even a token fight by the time Ryuji finally pulled back.

“Heh. Not gonna lie, I could get used to seeing you like this.” Ryuji grinned down at Akira, taking full pleasure in seeing his normally unflappable friend’s face flooding with color. “Red really is a good color on you,” he couldn’t help but add teasingly.

“Oh shut up,” Akira muttered, though the smile on his face belied his words. “So are you planning on holding me prisoner here all day?”

“No, I’m planning on holding you prisoner here all day _after_ we wash up and get something to eat. I got priorities, man, and laying in bed feeling all gross ‘n’ hungry ain’t my idea of a relaxing Sunday.”

Akira laughed lightly. “Alright, that’s fair.”

Ryuji moved off of Akira and stood up, stretching a bit and glancing over to see Akira doing the same, his expression already looking much more relaxed than it had when he’d woken up.

Which was good and all, but that didn’t mean Ryuji was going to call it quits just yet--he was having too much fun both embarrassing Akira and helping him.

And so, like any normal person would, Ryuji impulsively decided to--quite literally--sweep Akira off his feet, resulting in an expression of wide-eyed shock that Ryuji wished he could photograph to preserve for the rest of eternity.

“Wh-- Ryuji, what are you _doing_?”

“What’s it look like I’m doing?” he replied with a faux innocent smile as he started carrying Akira down the stairs, knowing fully well that Akira could shove his way out of his hold if he was really that opposed to it.

Instead, Akira wrapped his arms around Ryuji, even as he continued to protest with a flushed face.

“Ryuji, you don’t have to-- Ryuji, seriously-- _Ryuji what if Sojiro is downstairs please put me down_ \--”

Ryuji rolled his eyes. “Dude, relax, it’s still early--we’d’ve heard if Boss was here. Just let me take care of you for at least one day, jeez.”

Akira looked like he was going to protest, but all it took was Ryuji hugging him a bit closer, and Akira’s fight immediately died out as he buried his flushed face in the crook of Ryuji’s neck.

_Cute…._

Ryuji couldn’t help the stray thought that crossed his mind as he glanced down at Akira, his heart swelling as he saw the small smile on Akira’s face.

It felt so good to be wanted, to be _needed_ in a way that no one could ever replace--and to know that on top of all of that, he was _helping_ someone that meant the world to him, someone that _he_ apparently meant the world to as well….

Ryuji only became aware of his lips absentmindedly pressing against the top of Akira’s head when he heard him let out a soft sigh, Akira’s breath against his neck sending a not-so-unpleasant shiver down his spine.

_Focus, Ryuji. Today’s about Akira, not you._

Ryuji set Akira down once they reached the bathroom (he would have carried him all the way inside if the bathroom wasn’t so damn small) and let him get washed up first, making a quick trip back upstairs in the meantime to grab some clothes for Akira and himself to change into.

(As well as to grab his phone and send a quick text to his mom--he’d been so wrapped up in trying to help Akira last night that he completely forgot to let her know that he wasn't coming home… whoops. Hopefully she wouldn't be too upset with him.)

After passing the clothes to Akira and taking his place in the bathroom, Ryuji got washed and changed before exiting the bathroom to find Akira behind the cafe counter, brewing coffee with a smile on his face that widened as he caught sight of Ryuji.

“I hope you don’t mind curry for breakfast, Sojiro doesn’t really keep much else stocked here,” Akira said by way of greeting, gesturing to the two plates of curry at the bar.

“Hey, food’s food, right?” Ryuji shrugged and grinned. “It‘s all good with me.”

Ryuji took a seat at the bar in front of one of the plates, continuing to watch Akira instead of beginning to eat. If Akira noticed him staring, he made no indication, though he did give Ryuji a smile once he finally set a cup down in front of him.

“Here.”

Ryuji’s nose scrunched up slightly as he eyed the cup. “Uh, sorry, but I don’t really--”

“Trust me,” Akira cut him off, a slight twinkle in his eye. “Just try it.”

Ryuji eyed the cup for a moment longer before picking it up and taking a tentative sip, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

Obviously pleased by his reaction, Akira rounded the bar to sit next to him with his own cup of coffee in hand and pressed a kiss to Ryuji’s cheek. “You like it?”

“Dude, I had no idea coffee could actually taste… well… _good_.”

Akira chuckled. “Yes, I know--it took a lot of trial and error before I could finally find the exact blend that you liked.”

Ryuji blushed lightly, hiding his face behind his coffee mug as he muttered, “You didn’t have to go through all that trouble just for me.”

“I _wanted_ to,” Akira insisted with a soft smile. “Knowing I was able to do something to make you happy was enough to make me happy as well.”

Ryuji tightened his grip on his cup as guilt and anger began to well up inside him--just how many things had Akira done just to make him happy, to make anyone else happy, without anyone going out of their way to do the same for him? Did anyone even know something as simple as how Akira liked _his_ coffee? Did anyone ever learn _anything_ that Akira liked, or was he always just the person that everyone relied on for help with their own problems?

“Ryuji?”

Akira’s voice pulled Ryuji out of his thoughts, his concerned expression forcing Ryuji to loosen his grip as he carefully set the cup down on the bar.

“You’re too good for all of us,” Ryuji muttered, before reaching out and pulling Akira into a kiss.

Akira was just barely able to keep his grip on his cup as he leaned into the kiss, the contact feeling too short and leaving him wanting more when Ryuji pulled back.

“... I’m not ‘too good’ for anyone,” Akira replied quietly, weakly lifting his coffee mug up to his flushed face.

“You are,” Ryuji insisted, picking his cup back up and taking another sip. “Damn, never thought I’d see the day when I’d actually _enjoy_ a cup of coffee.”

Akira cracked a smile. “Don’t forget about your curry, it’s going to get cold.” His smile widened to a teasing smirk as he added, “Or are you waiting for me to feed you?”

Ryuji blushed. “I can eat on my own, thanks,” he muttered before beginning to stuff his face, trying to avoid Akira’s smirk.

_Today’s about Akira, not you,_ he reminded himself, determined to not let Akira steal control of the situation from him.

When he looked up from his food to find Akira still watching him, taking calm sips from his cup instead of eating his food, Ryuji couldn’t help but grin as he decided to take the opportunity that was presented to him.

“Don’t forget about your curry, it’s gonna get cold--or are you waiting for me to feed you?”

Akira looked a mix of stunned, embarrassed, and offended to have his words thrown back at him, and again Ryuji wished he hadn’t left his phone upstairs so he could take a picture and make it last longer.

“I’m not hearing a _no_ ,” Ryuji continued to tease him, reaching over to pick up the spoon resting against Akira’s plate and scooping up some of the curry before holding it in front of Akira mockingly.

Ryuji fully expected Akira to take the spoon from his hand and eat the food himself, so he nearly dropped the spoon in shock when Akira smirked and leaned forward, casually taking the spoonful of curry into his mouth. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he made direct eye contact with Ryuji as he pulled back, licking his lips like the smug attractive bastard that he was.

God damn it, why was it so easy for him to turn the tables like this? Ryuji didn’t care if the guy had a hundred years’ worth of experience under his belt, it was still cheating and unfair as fuck.

Grumbling a few choice words under his breath, Ryuji shoved the spoon into Akira’s hand and picked up his cup of coffee, gulping the drink down and hoping that he could somehow manage to drown his embarrassment away.

It didn’t work, but at least it made Akira laugh, so Ryuji still considered that one small win in his favor.

* * *

After finishing their meal and cleaning up (thankfully Sojiro hadn’t said anything about them using his ingredients when he walked into the cafe and saw them eating his curry, nor did he make a big deal about Ryuji being there so early aside from a raised eyebrow), Akira and Ryuji made their way back upstairs.

“Are you _sure_ you’re fine with just… sitting here and watching movies all day?”

Ryuji finished helping Akira move the couch to face the TV before shooting him a look. “Dude, it was _my idea_ , of _course_ I’m fine with it. Stop overthinking shit and just relax already.”

Akira sighed and smiled weakly. “... Alright. Sorry, I just… it's not that easy. It's been a long time since I had a chance to just relax without thinking about anything.”

Ryuji’s expression softened slightly, and he was quick to pop a random DVD in before swinging an arm around Akira’s shoulders and pulling them both down to sit on the couch.

“That's what you got me here for--I’ll help you relax, don't worry.”

Akira nodded and lightly leaned against Ryuji, his gaze shifting to the TV as the movie started playing.

Thankfully Ryuji had grabbed a comedy--the perfect thing to help someone unwind and relax without thinking. Even if Akira’s laughter was muted compared to his own guffawing, the fact that there was a smile on Akira’s face (and the fact that the tension was gradually yet visibly easing out of Akira’s frame) meant that this was helping.

By the time the movie ended, Akira was resting against Ryuji’s side, Ryuji’s arm having moved at some point to wrap around Akira and pull him closer.

“Man, haven’t watched that one in forever… I forgot how funny it was.” Ryuji grinned down at Akira. “You up for another movie?”

Akira nodded, (reluctantly) moving so he could get up and change the disc--only to blink dazedly as Ryuji pushed him back down on the couch and stood up himself.

“I told’ja today’s about you relaxing, and I meant it. I let you get away with the curry ‘n’ coffee, but I don’t want you doing nothing else.”

Akira frowned. “Ryuji, I’m capable of--”

“It ain’t about you being  _capable_ ,” Ryuji quickly cut him off. “It’s about me wanting to do as much as I can for you. You deserve that much, at least.”

Akira faltered, a light blush heating up his face as he dropped his gaze. “... Fine. You don’t have to, but… thank you.”

Ryuji grinned, obviously pleased, and swapped the DVD in the player for a new movie before plopping himself back onto the couch and swinging an arm back around Akira, surprising even himself with how casual the action felt.

Not that he was complaining, of course. Akira didn’t seem to have any complaints either, as he curled up against Ryuji’s side and fixed his gaze on the TV once more.

This time Ryuji had chosen an action movie, and while he was completely absorbed in the chase scenes and over-the-top fights, Akira seemed to be dozing off barely halfway into the movie. When Ryuji noticed Akira’s eyelids drooping, he moved a hand up to run through his hair, smiling as Akira let out a sigh and closed his eyes.

Even after the movie ended, Ryuji was content to continue toying with Akira’s hair as he slept peacefully against him, feeling pleased that Akira was finally getting the rest and relaxation that he needed.

Unfortunately, the peace didn’t last for long: Akira’s phone went off, startling Ryuji and pulling Akira out of his deep sleep.

“Goddammit, should’ve made sure his phone was on vibrate…,” Ryuji grumbled to himself, before softening his expression as Akira looked up at him. “Hey, did you sleep well?”

Akira buried his face against Ryuji’s chest and nodded, prompting a laugh from him.

“You still half asleep? We don’t gotta be nowhere, so you can go back to sleep if you want.”

“... ‘s tempting,” Akira murmured, his voice muffled against Ryuji’s shirt. “You’re comfortable.”

Ryuji chuckled, a light blush heating up his face. “Glad I at least make a good pillow.”

Akira made a noise of agreement and pressed closer to Ryuji, though he did disentangle one arm from where it was half wrapped around his human pillow so he could reach down to his pocket, pulling out his phone and blindly shoving it in the direction of Ryuji’s face.

“See who it is for me.”

Ryuji rolled his eyes. “What am I, your secretary or something? ‘sides, you gotta unlock it first.”

“You already know my code,” Akira said, before pausing and blinking dazedly. “... Right?”

“Nope, sorry dude.” Ryuji gave Akira’s head a pat, trying not to let the minor slip-up bother him. He guessed that Akira being more relaxed also meant Akira didn’t have as strong of a grip on his memories, which was fine--Ryuji was glad he could be Akira’s anchor to the present, and he had no problems with helping him get his facts straight if need-be.

(Though he couldn’t help but wonder when and why Akira told him his passcode--was it in the first timeline? Or was it some other time? He supposed he’d never know, nor did it really matter, but the curiosity was still there.)

“Oh, uh… right. Sorry.” Akira looked more sheepish than upset by the mistake, which Ryuji was relieved about. “It’s, um… 0703.”

“Okay, zero-seven-zero-wait.” Ryuji paused with his finger hovering over the last digit, his face heating up as he belatedly realized what exactly that particular string of numbers meant. “Dude, you have _my birthday_ as your code?”

“... We changed our codes together, after Fut--um, after someone commented on both our passcodes being too easy to figure out. Using each other’s birthdays was easy to remember, but difficult for anyone else to guess.” Akira shrugged slightly, though he couldn’t quite suppress his nostalgic smile. “One of the first things I do after each reset is change my code to your birthday. It’s silly, but it feels like… a connection to that time, or something, even if it isn’t anything tangible.”

“That ain’t silly at all.” Ryuji’s expression was soft as he ran his free hand through Akira’s hair, prompting a pleased hum from him. “I’m… well, shit, is it weird to feel jealous of yourself?”

Akira laughed softly. “You don’t have to feel jealous. In the end, it’s still your birthday that I have as my passcode.”

“Yeah, but now if I try ‘n’ change mine to your birthday, I’ll just be copying him-- me-- _whatever_.”

Akira turned a mirthful gaze up to look at Ryuji, leaning up just enough to press his lips against Ryuji’s before pulling back with a smirk. “Then I suppose we’ll just have to find something special for the two of us, now won’t we?”

Ryuji blushed and rolled his eyes. “Bet you already did all the cool stuff with the other five million Ryujis.” Hesitating for a moment out of embarrassment, he tentatively added, “Besides, we already got something special… don’t we?”

Akira’s smile softened as he rested his head back against Ryuji’s chest. “You’re right,” he murmured. “What I have here with you now… I’ve never had this with anyone. Even if everything resets again--”

Ryuji grabbed Akira and pulled him up enough to press their lips together once more, effectively silencing him. Even after he pulled out of the kiss, he pressed their foreheads together almost hard enough to hurt, his gaze burning.

“I want you to listen and listen good: _I ain’t letting you reset no more_ . We’re gonna figure out a way to get you out of this goddamn time loop, and we’re gonna do it _together_. Got that?”

Akira’s breath hitched as he stared into Ryuji’s eyes, taking in all of the strength and determination and optimism that he’d lost somewhere along the way. Even when his vision began to swim, he kept his eyes on Ryuji as he nodded, not trusting his voice enough to give any more of a response.

Apparently a nod was enough, as Ryuji’s expression softened into a satisfied smile moments before he pressed another kiss to Akira’s lips--and Akira in turn let himself melt into the kiss, let that small flame of hope flicker back to life inside him, warming his heart just as much as Ryuji's affectionate actions did.

He was hardly even aware of his phone going off again, too lost in the feeling of Ryuji pushing him down on the couch and peppering him with sloppy yet enthusiastic kisses. Ryuji, however, could only ignore so many _ping_ ’s before his patience ran out.

“God _dammit_ who the _hell_ keeps--oh of _course_ it’s Ann.”

Akira dazedly opened his eyes, looking up at Ryuji to find him scrolling through the messages on his phone with an annoyed expression.

“She’s saying you promised her crepes yesterday,” Ryuji summed up as he turned his attention away from the phone and back down to Akira. “Want me to just tell her to buzz off?”

Akira laughed softly. “No, a promise is a promise--and I wouldn’t mind going out for some crepes, to be honest.”

“You sure?” Ryuji moved off of the couch and helped Akira up. “Ann can get a bit pushy at times, but I’m sure she’d be cool with it if you told her you’re not up for going out.”

Akira stretched a bit as he stood up, quickly wiping the dried tears from the corners of his eyes before giving Ryuji a reassuring smile. “Honestly, I feel more rested and refreshed than I have in years.” His smile died down slightly as he added, “And on a more serious note, if we’re going to make this the last timeline, I want to do things right.”

“Do things right? Whaddya mean?”

Akira shook his head slightly, a warm smile back on his face as he pressed a kiss to Ryuji’s forehead. “I’ll explain everything in due time; I’ve already dumped enough on you.”

Ryuji blushed lightly and frowned. “Don’t feel like you gotta hold back just ‘cuz I can’t keep up with all the crazy shit going on in your head.”

“I know, I promise I’m not holding myself back. All you need to know for now is that getting on Ann’s bad side won’t do me any good.”

Ryuji’s expression melted into one of amusement as he grinned. “Getting on her bad side won’t do _anyone_ any good, time loop or not.”

“True.” Akira chuckled, taking his phone back from Ryuji so he could respond to Ann, apologizing for the delay and agreeing to meet up with her in a few minutes.

Ryuji, in the meanwhile, moved over to Akira’s bed, grabbing his own phone and slipping it into his pocket before grabbing Akira’s glasses off of the windowsill.

“Don’t forget these,” Ryuji said, waiting until Akira looked up from his phone before smiling and carefully slipping the glasses onto Akira’s face. “There, now you’re all good to go!”

Akira smiled warmly, putting his phone into his pocket so he could give Ryuji his full attention as he leaned forward, pressing a light kiss to his lips.

“Thank you.”

As they made their way into Shibuya together, meeting up with Ann and dodging her and Morgana’s questions about why exactly Akira and Ryuji were together and what they did last night, Akira could swear he heard the distant echo of chains rattling in the back of his mind.

Whether they were the chains binding him to the Velvet Room, or the chains binding him to Arsène, Akira couldn’t say--all that he knew was that it was a sign.

Whether it was good or bad… well, it would be only a matter of time before he found out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask how Yusuke ended up getting practically a whole chapter with Ryuji because I have no idea either

Just to make things completely clear: Ryuji was _not_ jealous.

Sure, Akira was engaging more with Ann and Morgana and Mishima and whatever other people were constantly contacting him, but that was a _good_ thing, so Ryuji didn't mind whenever Akira told him “ _sorry, I already have plans_ ".

Of course, Akira wasn't _ignoring_ him either--they still hung out occasionally, either doing their normal workout routines or just relaxing in Akira's room, convincing Morgana to leave with different excuses so they could have some privacy to kiss.

(Ryuji had a feeling Morgana was suspicious of the two of them, but he refused to be the one to bring up their unlabeled relationship with the nosy cat.)

So all things considered, Ryuji had no reason to feel upset. Just because Akira had relied on him so heavily for one night and one day didn't mean that he was going to be glued to his side _all_ the time. Akira had his own life, and it was perfectly normal for that life to not revolve around him.

It didn't matter if Ryuji had nothing and no one to occupy his time with whenever Akira wasn't around. That was his own problem, not Akira's.

Today was yet another case of Akira's time being occupied by someone else: the five Phantom Thieves had just met up at their hideout to discuss their plan for Madarame’s palace (Ryuji still had trouble wrapping his mind around how Akira had dropped the name Madarame in his dazed future ramblings, only for them to meet Yusuke and end up awakening his Persona hardly a week later), and Ryuji had asked if everyone wanted to go out to grab a bite to eat before they headed home.

“Sorry, Akira and I actually already have plans,” Ann replied, clasping her hands in front of her in apology before glancing at Akira with a smile. “You ready to head out?”

Akira nodded, glancing at Ryuji with an apologetic expression. “Sorry, Ryuji.”

Ryuji forced a grin and waved his apology off. “It's fine, we’ll go next time. See you tomorrow!”

Ann smiled and gave Ryuji and Yusuke a wave before grabbing Akira's arm and pulling him along, barely giving him the chance to wave goodbye to them as well.

Ryuji watched them go, almost forgetting about the last member of their group until he spoke up.

“If the offer still stands, I will gladly accompany you for some food.”

Ryuji glanced over at Yusuke, caught off-guard for a moment, before letting out a sigh.

“... Sure, dude. Why not, let's go.”

* * *

Ryuji wasn't entirely sure whether being with Yusuke was better or worse than being alone.

On one hand, if Yusuke could pull his attention away from his sketchbook for more than five seconds, he made pretty good conversation--it was usually odd conversation, sure, but at least it was odd in an interesting way.

On the other hand, he and Yusuke weren't exactly close, and once they ran out of things to talk about, things ended up feeling awkward--or at least awkward on his end, since Yusuke would just return his attention to his sketchbook without a care in the world.

Today was the latter: the two of them sat across from each other in a booth off to the corner, Ryuji idly popping fries into his mouth while Yusuke’s hand flew across his sketchbook page, his other hand blindly reaching out for his food whenever he remembered it was there.

Ryuji quickly grew bored of watching the artist at work, and he wasn't really in the mood to force a conversation, so he busied himself with watching the people around him.

_I wonder what Akira ‘n’ Ann are doing._

He distractedly picked up another fry and popped it in his mouth, watching some of the other patrons talking and laughing amongst themselves.

_Ann prolly just suckered Akira into carrying her bags while she shops or something._

It was a weak reassurance at best--except, what exactly was he trying to reassure himself of?

_I wonder if the people seeing them together think they're on a date. I mean, they_ **_do_ ** _look like an attractive couple._

Why did the thought of Akira and Ann being together make his blood boil and his heart hurt?

Ryuji scowled and shook his head slightly. _The hell am I thinking? They're just hanging out as friends, I_ **_know_ ** _that._

_So why…?_

“Finished.”

Ryuji snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Yusuke’s voice. “Huh?”

“I've finished,” Yusuke repeated, turning his sketchbook for Ryuji to see.

Ryuji was about to (attempt to) politely tell Yusuke that he had no interest in critiquing his art when he paused, the words dying on the tip of his tongue as he stared at the sketch seconds before yanking the book out of Yusuke’s hands to look more closely.

“Dude, what the hell? You mean this whole time you were drawing  _me?_ ”

Yusuke smiled. “Ever since I saw the face you were making at the hideout, I couldn't resist wanting to capture the emotion behind it on paper.”

“I… was this really the kind’a face I was making…?”

Ryuji felt embarrassed, almost humiliated, to see the obvious jealousy written all over every stress line in his face, the burning emotion captured clearly in his eyes and in his thin smile.

“Perhaps I may have taken a few liberties, but to my eye… yes, that was the kind of face you were making, even while sitting across from me here.”

Ryuji's face was burning as he weakly handed the sketchbook back to Yusuke. “... Please don't show that to no one.”

“Of course,” Yusuke responded as he took his sketchbook back, pausing thoughtfully for a moment before adding, “Though I've been curious…. What prompted such an expression to begin with?”

Ryuji ran a hand through his hair. “Do I really gotta spell it out for you…?”

“Were you perhaps jealous of Akira spending time with Ann? I do admit, she is quite the beautiful muse, but--"

“It ain't--" Ryuji bit his tongue, hesitating out of embarrassment before quietly continuing. “It ain't about Ann.”

A look of understanding passed across the artist’s face as he gave Ryuji a smile. “To be honest, I had a feeling that might have been the case, though I didn’t want to assume.”

Ryuji groaned, his face flushed. “You’re not helping.”

“There's no need to be ashamed. Akira is a beautiful man, inside and out--he is the kind of person that anyone would want to spend time with.” Yusuke’s smile softened. “He has been a tremendous help in my quest to overcome my artistic slump.”

“So he’s been helping you too, huh….” Ryuji let out a sigh as he rested an elbow on the table and propped up his chin on his hand. “It don't look like you're in much of a slump, though--irritating as it is, that sketch of yours was pretty damn good.”

“A sketch is different from the art I am trying to produce,” Yusuke responded. “My goal is to someday create a painting that evokes the same emotions as my mother's _Sayuri_. Akira has been very patient and helpful in my endeavors--it almost feels as though he knows just what to say to help direct my focus and set my mind at ease. He really is an incredible person.”

_That's ‘cuz he_ **_does_ ** _know just what to say,_ Ryuji just barely stopped himself from responding, instead smiling as he replied, “Yeah… Akira's an amazing guy.”

There was a small lull in the conversation as Yusuke turned his attention to the remainder of his food, Ryuji following suit now that his appetite was starting to come back a bit more--embarrassing as it was, admitting his problem had helped at least a little bit.

Apparently Yusuke wasn't going to let the matter go that easily, though, because as soon as he finished eating he asked without hesitation, “Have you spoken with Akira about what you're feeling?”

Ryuji nearly choked on his drink, his face bright red as he coughed to clear his throat before forcing out, “Why the hell would I do that?”

Yusuke frowned. “I believe Akira would be upset if he realized that he was unintentionally hurting you.”

“And I don't wanna make him upset for no reason, so I ain't gonna say nothing,” Ryuji responded. “It's not even all that big of a deal--I mean… we started off with just the two of us, which was great; then Mona joined, then Ann, now you, plus Akira's been meeting a whole bunch’a different people--obviously he’s not gonna be able to spend all his time with me anymore, and that's _fine_.”

“Except it _isn’t_ fine,” Yusuke pointed out. “If it was, you wouldn’t have such negativity weighing you down.”

“That’s… ugh, _fine_ , maybe I… maybe it bothers me a bit when Akira turns down my invitations and hangs out with other people, and maybe I wanna spend a bit more time with him. Why’s that such a big deal? I mean, he’s my best friend, and--”

\--And Ryuji's mind chose that moment of all times to remind him of that night with Akira in his arms, his face flushed and his expression dazed in the wake of their kissing as he breathed out Ryuji's name in a tone that was practically reverent and made Ryuji's heartbeat quicken more than could possibly be explained by just _friendship._

Yusuke watched in intrigue as Ryuji’s face steadily filled with color, growing more and more red until he let out a frustrated shout and lowered his head to press against the table.

“Please, either just end this conversation or end me,” Ryuji groaned. “Or both.”

“I don’t think either option would truly solve your dilemma,” Yusuke responded with a hint of amusement. “I also don’t believe Akira would be too appreciative of me ‘ending’ you.”

Ryuji let out another long groan, his embarrassment not at all helped by Yusuke’s quiet chuckling. “Glad you get your kicks outta watching me suffer.”

“No, that’s not it. I was just thinking how honest you are.”

Ryuji made an inquisitive noise as he pulled his face away from the table long enough to glance up at Yusuke, and Yusuke smiled down at him in response.

“You wear your emotions for all to see. It’s a refreshing change from most people that I observe.”

“Uh… thanks, I guess?” Ryuji reluctantly pushed himself back up into a proper sitting position, traces of embarrassment still lingering in his face as he rubbed the back of his head. “Seriously, though, could’ja… keep all this between us? Last thing I want is Ann or Morgana finding out and giving me a hard time over it.”

“Of course,” Yusuke agreed. “Though I personally don’t see the need for secrecy. I’m sure the two of them have also already noticed that you two have feelings for one another.”

All the blood in Ryuji’s body immediately pooled back into his face, and if he didn’t know better, he’d say that Yusuke was doing this on purpose to fuck with him--but no, he looked genuinely confused by Ryuji’s embarrassment, as if he’d expected him to have already realized something as simple as _oh everyone knows you and Akira are obviously into one another_.

“It’s not-- I mean-- how would they have noticed anything?? We’re just friends!”

Yusuke blinked. “Ah… if that’s the case, then I apologize. Perhaps I misunderstood.”

“Misunderstood what?”

“Whenever Akira looks at you, he has the same look that I’ve seen on the faces of couples looking at one another--but perhaps I was misreading him.” Yusuke had the decency to look slightly sheepish as he added, “It wouldn’t be the first time that I’ve misinterpreted signs of affection as feelings of love. It is… admittedly a difficult subject for me to grasp.”

Ryuji faltered, hesitating out of embarrassment before forcing out, “You’re… not wrong. About Akira, I mean. He….” Ryuji’s voice lowered, his cheeks burning. “He told me… helovesme--and I mean, I… I guess I feel _something_ but like, I’ve never… so I don’t really know what it feels like, and....” He groaned and leaned forward against the table. “I just don’t know.”

Though he couldn’t bring himself to admit it, the thought that this whole time--even if he’d been too blind to see it--Akira had been looking at him with an affectionate expression reserved only for him… it did help ebb the feeling of totally-not-jealousy a tiny bit--it meant that even if he was spending time with other people, Ryuji was still important to him.

Akira was important to Ryuji too--important enough that Ryuji always wanted to be by his side, helping him and supporting him in ways that only he could, seeing him smile and hearing him laugh and just taking all of him in because he cared about him enough to accept everything about him, just as Akira had accepted all of him. _Love_ , though… it was hard for him to grasp just yet, and he knew that Akira didn’t want him to rush, but….

“Overthinking things doesn’t suit you,” Yusuke commented, interrupting Ryuji’s thoughts. “Perhaps you should just speak with Akira, at least about your feelings regarding him spending the majority of his time with other people.” Ruefully, he added, “I’ve learned from experience that nothing can be fixed by pretending the problem doesn’t exist.”

“... I guess…,” Ryuji murmured, before sitting up with a sigh and running a hand through his hair. “Anyways... thanks. I wasn’t expecting to dump all this on you like this, but… I think it helped a bit.”

Yusuke gave Ryuji a small smile. “In that case, I am glad to have been of assistance.”

“Don’t go showing that drawing of me to anyone though, alright?”

Yusuke nodded. “Of course. This was hardly my best work.”

“That ain’t what I….” Ryuji sighed. “Y’know what, whatever. Same difference in the end.”

Ryuji rose to his feet and stretched while Yusuke gathered his sketchbook and pencils, and the two of them tossed out their garbage before heading out towards the train station.

“If you ever find yourself with time to spare, I could always use a model for my artwork,” Yusuke mentioned offhandedly as they approached the station.

Ryuji blinked, caught off-guard by the sudden offer, before grinning weakly. “Can’t say I’m not flattered, but I’m sure you could do better than using someone like me. I don’t exactly got the face for modeling.”

“Nonsense. You have the perfect range of emotional expressions; I’m sure I could benefit greatly from observing you.”

“... I’m not all that good at sitting still for long neither….”

“That’s perfectly fine, capturing the essence of a body in motion is also an important part of artistic training.”

Ryuji sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his expression embarrassed. “You’re seriously not gonna let this go, huh…. Fine, I guess if I got nothing better to do and you feel like putting up with me--but none’a that nude modeling shit you tried pulling with Ann, got it?”

Yusuke chuckled. “Of course, you have my word.” He turned his attention to the train bulletin, before glancing back at Ryuji. “It seems that my train is arriving shortly. Please feel free to contact me whenever you have time to spare.”

“Yeah, yeah, got it.” Ryuji smiled as he gave Yusuke a friendly clap on the shoulder. “Seriously though, thanks for today.”

“It was no problem at all.” Yusuke returned Ryuji’s smile with a small smile of his own. “Good luck speaking with Akira. I hope the two of you can come to a resolution that appeases you both.”

With that, Yusuke turned away and began heading for his train, leaving Ryuji alone with his thoughts once more as he let out a quiet sigh.

“... Can’t believe I just agreed to model for Yusuke,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head slightly with a bemused smile.

Ryuji was sure that Yusuke had only offered because he felt bad for him, but even still, it was admittedly nice to know that he had someone else to spend time with besides Akira.

_I should hang out with Ann more too. Even carrying her shopping bags is better than sitting around at home bored out of my mind._

He jerked out of his thoughts as he heard an announcement for the train to Yongen-jaya, and he hastily rushed over to the platform, shooting a quick text to Akira before he could lose his nerve.

< **hey is it cool if i come over for a bit**

Ryuji managed to make it just in time to slip through the closing train doors, and as soon as he squeezed himself into a corner, he pulled his phone back out to check if Akira had replied.

> **Of course.**

Ryuji couldn’t help but crack a smile at the simple yet concrete response, as if Akira had known exactly what he needed to hear.

(Which, knowing Akira, was entirely possible.)

< **k thx omw**

> **See you soon.**

* * *

Akira seemed to visibly brighten as Ryuji walked into the empty cafe, causing Ryuji to blush lightly even as he grinned at him.

“Yo.” Ryuji strolled over to the bar, taking a seat and resting his chin on his hand as he leaned against the bar. “Boss left you in charge?”

“He told me to close up shop for him. Said there was an emergency, but I’m sure it’s nothing all that bad.”

Ryuji didn’t bother questioning the knowing smile on Akira’s face, instead accepting both the kiss to his lips and the cup of coffee that was gently pressed into his free hand with a surprising lack of embarrassment, both actions feeling so normal by this point that it was almost expected.

(Provided Sojiro and Morgana weren’t around, anyway.)

Ryuji idly took sips of his coffee--which he’d quickly developed a taste for, though only when Akira made it for him--as he silently observed Akira, watching him go back to straightening up behind the bar while smiling and quietly humming to himself. The air between them was peaceful, easing the stress out of Ryuji’s body that he hadn’t even realized was there in the first place.

So of course he had to go and disturb the quiet tranquility of the moment by opening his mouth.

“Ain’t this kinda….”

Ryuji trailed off, his face flushed as he looked at Akira with his work apron on, and Akira’s smile widened slightly in amusement as he glanced over at him.

“Domestic?”

Ryuji glanced away in embarrassment. “... Yeah, that.”

“Does it bother you?”

“No,” Ryuji replied, perhaps a bit too quickly if Akira’s laughter was anything to go by. “Wh-- what the hell’s so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Akira responded, leaning over the bar counter to press his lips against Ryuji’s once more. “I’m just happy. It would be a dream come true to live a quiet, domestic life with you, honestly.”

Ryuji was grateful that he hadn’t taken another sip of his coffee at that moment, otherwise he would have definitely choked, his face bright red and his eyes wide. “A… Akira, that’s… I mean….”

Akira’s expression softened as he straightened up and ruffled Ryuji’s hair. “You don’t have to say anything. It’s just something I’ve thought about for a while.”

_Right… he’s had years to think about this kind’a stuff--but he’s basically saying... he wants to spend the rest of his life with me…?_

Suddenly his (definitely-not-)jealousy seemed ridiculous--as embarrassing as it was (and as difficult as it was to wrap his self-deprecating mind around), Akira’s heart was obviously set on no one else but him.

Still, he knew it would continue bugging him unless he said something, and so before he could chicken out, he asked, “A-anyways, how’d your thing with Ann go?”

Akira glanced back at Ryuji, eyeing him with a gaze that was far too knowing for Ryuji’s comfort, as if he was seeing right through him.

“Pretty well. I accompanied her to a magazine shoot. She said they needed a male model to fill in, and she volunteered me to do the shoot with her.”

Ryuji couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Sounds like her. So you’re a model now, huh?”

Akira shrugged and smirked. “I have the looks and charisma for it, don’t I?”

“Yeah, and the big head t’ match,” Ryuji muttered from around his coffee cup, trying to hide his flushed face as he took a sip.

“Now that’s just mean.” Akira looked more amused than offended as he watched Ryuji, though his expression turned slightly more serious as he added, “And all that aside, I wasn’t going to turn down her request. As I told you once before, I intend on doing things right in this timeline.”

Ryuji blinked, setting his coffee cup back down with a confused expression. “Whaddya mean?”

“I know things will never be the same as in the first timeline, but… I want to at least try and reform all of the bonds that I made back then, and I want to help as many people as I can in the process.”

_So that’s why…._

Now Ryuji felt like a complete ass--here he was, bitching about Akira not paying enough attention to him, while Akira was pushing himself to try and make a happy future for everyone.

“Oh,” was the only response he could manage to give without shoving his foot into his mouth, his gaze dropping down to the coffee mug on the counter. He was about to pick it back up and use it as an excuse to prevent him from saying anything else when Akira suddenly approached him, reaching out from across the bar counter to cup Ryuji’s face in both of his hands.

“A… Akira, what--”

“You have nothing to be jealous of, Ryuji.” Though his tone was light, Akira’s expression was serious. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been spending as much time with you as we’d both like. I just figured that if I spent all of my time now getting back on track, it would give me more time later to focus on being with you.”

Ryuji blushed and dropped his gaze in embarrassment, not even surprised that Akira had caught on to him. “... You don’t gotta apologize. It’s my fault, I was thinking dumb shit and jumping to conclusions.”

Akira gently ran his thumbs along Ryuji’s cheeks, his expression softening into a smile. “Then can I tell you something, so you can remind yourself whenever your mind starts thinking ‘dumb shit’?”

“Hm?” Ryuji reluctantly glanced back at Akira, his blush darkening and his eyes drifting shut as Akira leaned in and kissed him.

After what felt like both forever and no time at all, Akira moved his hands off of Ryuji’s face as he pulled back from the kiss. He straightened up just enough to take one of Ryuji’s hands in his own and lifted it, pressing his lips to the back of his hand with a gaze and smile both filled with affection.

“My heart belongs to you and only you,” Akira murmured, his smile widening a fraction as he saw the color filling Ryuji’s face all the way to the tips of his ears. “I adore you--I always have, and I always will. Never forget that.”

Ryuji wanted to say something in response, _anything_ , but his throat was oddly tight and his head was spinning, and it took all of his energy to even manage a small nod in response.

(He definitely wouldn’t have any reason to feel jealous after this, that’s for sure.)

Apparently satisfied, Akira gave Ryuji’s hand a gentle squeeze before heading over towards the sink to start washing dishes, and Ryuji dazedly wondered how the _hell_ he could act so nonchalant after saying all those things.

No, maybe nonchalant wasn’t the right word--there was a slight spring in Akira’s step, and a light trace of color in Akira’s cheeks, and once again Ryuji found himself trying to wrap his mind around what was hardly two weeks ago a completely foreign concept.

_He’s seriously in love with me._

* * *

Akira glanced back at Ryuji after a few minutes, briefly concerned when he saw him with his elbows propped up on the counter and his face in his hands, but one glimpse of the smile on Ryuji’s flushed face immediately put his mind at ease.

Even just being able to voice his feelings without being rejected was like a dream come true. He could wait however long it would take for Ryuji to figure out whether or not he returned those feelings.

After all, he’d gone almost a century without any hope of Ryuji expressing anything more than friendship towards him--what was a few weeks, or months, or even years of waiting compared to that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it was a bit of a slow chapter;; The next one should have some actual plot, provided my brain cooperates enough to write it lol


	3. Chapter 3

Akira was hiding something.

It was obvious to Ryuji, and even to the rest of their group, but Akira kept waving off their concern with different excuses that Ryuji wasn’t buying for one minute.

The problem was, Ryuji never had the proper chance to confront Akira in private about it, because he was just _never around_ anymore.

Sure, Ryuji knew that dealing with Kaneshiro’s palace was stressful and took up a lot of the free time that Akira could have been using for other things (like reforming the bonds he’d originally made and helping people, as Akira had told him), but there was no way that hanging out with some people and doing some minor things for them could result in the clear exhaustion on Akira’s face.

So the next time that their group--which had now grown to include their student council president of all people--met up at their hideout, Ryuji resolved to find a way to pull Akira aside and speak with him one-on-one just like he had that very first night.

(Hell, he was prepared to kiss Akira in public if it meant getting him to spill whatever was eating away at him.)

By some miracle, Akira himself ended up presenting Ryuji with the chance that he’d been looking for.

“Ryuji, would you mind coming back to LeBlanc with me?” Akira asked quietly, once their meeting had ended and their group began to split off.

“Uh--” He blinked, caught off-guard by the request, before nodding. “Yeah, sure, no problem.”

Akira smiled in obvious relief. “Thank you.”

Ryuji wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he pushed aside any questions he had and walked alongside Akira towards his train, using the excuse of the train being packed to press closer to Akira than necessary and smiling slightly as Akira’s face flushed in response.

That was definitely a better expression than the stressful, pensive expression he’d been wearing before.

As soon as they arrived at the cafe, Morgana hopped out of Akira’s bag, shooting the two of them a look.

“You two had better be decent by the time I get back.”

Akira seemed completely unruffled by Morgana’s comment, while Ryuji was left blushing and sputtering in the background.

“Of course. I’ll see you later.”

Morgana rolled his eyes and wandered off, and Akira decided to show Ryuji some mercy as he gave him a minute to compose himself before opening the door to the cafe for them.

When even _Sojiro_ shot the two of them a knowing look as they made their way towards the stairs, Ryuji couldn’t help but wonder why they were even bothering to hide that they were essentially in a relationship if everyone and their mother apparently already knew.

_Forget it, that’s not important right now._

“Akira--” Ryuji tried to begin, only to be silenced by a finger pressing against his lips.

“I’m sorry for worrying you.” The stress seemed to return to Akira’s face even as he gave Ryuji a weak smile. “And I’m sorry for bothering you today--I just… I need someone to talk to, and you’re the only one who I can say any of this to. Most of what I’m going to say probably won’t make sense, but would you mind listening anyway?”

Ryuji moved Akira’s finger off his lips and grasped his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Dude, you know I’m always willing to listen to you--I just wish you would’ve said somethin’ _before_ you started looking so stressed out.”

“Sorry,” Akira apologized again, looking slightly sheepish as he glanced away. “There were… reasons why I couldn’t say anything, but now that things have reached this point….”

Ryuji sighed and moved over to Akira’s bed, plopping himself down and leaning back on his hands as he watched Akira. “Alright, I’m all ears. What’s going on? Is it, like… future stuff, or…?”

Akira sighed and nodded. “Everything has been going fine, as far as I can remember.”

“And that’s… _good_ , right?”

“Yes, except things are going to get more complicated from this point on.” Akira dropped his gaze, absentmindedly pacing as he voiced his thoughts aloud rather than speaking directly to Ryuji. “We’re almost ready to send Kaneshiro the calling card, but once we change his heart, we’re going to be on Sh-- _that person’s_ radar, and they’re going to start making their move. If I don’t stay one step ahead, everything will end up like the first time--”

“Wait, I thought the first timeline went well?”

“--but if I get too ahead of myself, they might catch on, and things may change for the worse…. I’ve tried going through all the previous outcomes from things I’ve tried in other timelines, and all the potential outcomes from angles I haven’t approached yet, but there’s still too many ways that things could go wrong--”

“Akira, _slow down!_ ” Ryuji jumped off the bed and grabbed Akira by his shoulders, forcing him to stand still. “Look, I’m _trying_ to follow you, I really am, but you’re making this way too complicated.”

Akira smiled weakly. “It’s alright, you don’t have to understand. I just… need to vent, to try and get my thoughts straight.”

“And maybe your thoughts would be straight if you stopped overthinking everything.” Ryuji frowned. “You said we gotta stay one step ahead of some person without them catching on, right? Why can’t we just change that person’s heart instead?”

Akira tensed, his expression hardening. “ _No_ \--absolutely not. Attempting their palace as we are right now would be suicide.”

Ryuji paled and grimaced. “This person’s that dangerous?”

“Yes, and they know about the cognitive world. They’re the one responsible for all the mental shutdown cases.” Akira took a breath, letting it out slowly before adding, “I’ve tried taking them down early on once. And _only_ once.”

Ryuji winced--even just from Akira’s tone, it was obvious that the one time had gone poorly, to say the least. “Sorry.”

Akira shook his head, his expression softening slightly. “No, you don’t have to apologize. That would be the most obvious solution, but… we can’t underestimate them. They can and _will_ murder us without batting an eye if we aren’t careful.”

Ryuji let go of Akira’s shoulders and moved a hand up to run through his hair in frustration. “So then what the hell can we do?”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out,” Akira responded ruefully, before suddenly asking, “Have you heard of Medjed?”

Ryuji blinked, caught off-guard. “Uh… should I have?”

Akira cracked a brief smile. “No, it’s perfectly fine if you haven’t. They’re a group of hackers--and after we change Kaneshiro’s heart, they’re going to publicly declare war on the Phantom Thieves.”

Ryuji tensed, a cold chill running down his spine, and it took him a few seconds to figure out why he felt so uneasy: this was the first time Akira had concretely told him about something that was going to happen in their future. He didn’t doubt that Akira had a general idea of what was going to happen, but even if he’d hinted at and vaguely spoken about things, the only time he’d ever actually dropped a name was when he was having his mental breakdown--and even then, Madarame’s name was only said in passing, rather than being spelled out straight for him like this.

If the knowledge of just one future event felt this heavy, then he couldn’t even begin to imagine how Akira felt.

“... Why would a group of hackers declare war on us?” he asked warily, pushing aside his feeling of unease as he tried to focus. “Did we-- I mean, _are_ we gonna do something to them, or…?”

“It’s all a part of _that person’s_ plan--instead of taking us down right away, they plan on using us, manipulating us without our even realizing it… and then getting rid of us once we’ve outlived our use.”

Ryuji felt sick, his blood boiling at the thought of being some heartless asshole adult’s puppet, but before he could say anything Akira took Ryuji by the shoulders as he gently guided him back towards the bed, sitting him down with an understanding expression on his face.

“I know, Ryuji. Trust me, I know--but there’s no point in getting worked up about it right now. We’ll take down that person when the time is right.”

“... So these hackers--what, they’re working for this person, or something?”

“Something like that. My point is, our first three targets--Kamoshida, Madarame, and Kaneshiro--were all _our_ targets.” Akira resumed his pacing as he spoke, trying to simplify his thought process as best as possible. “ _We_ found them and went after them on our own, because _we_ wanted to help people by taking them down--but everything after Kaneshiro… every big target that we were presented with, starting with Medjed, was all by _their_ doing, even if we had our own reasons for following through. Some of those targets do still need their hearts changed, but I want to change them on _our_ terms, not _that person’s_ \--that’s what I mean by staying one step ahead of them.”

“So what’s the problem, then?”

Akira let out a breath. “The problem is that _that person_ will notice that the targets they’d been planning on forcing onto us are being taken down before they could bring them to our attention. In theory we _could_ just play along and let ourselves get manipulated, but there’s a certain moment that I’d like to avoid--and then there’s the matter of the palace after that; will they still send him to join us if we move too quickly?”

“Akira--”

“There’s also a chance that he’ll come directly after us as an enemy if we’re seen as a threat--but if we play along and let him join us, there’s still a chance that things could go wrong--”

“ _Akira_ \--”

“--and what if he tries to approach us earlier, before we can finish the next palace? He doesn’t have anything on us yet, I’m sure he doesn’t, but with _Sayuri_ hanging right downstairs on the wall there’s no way he won’t put the pieces together, provided he hasn’t already which would mean he’s already looking into us and-- _mmph!_ ”

Akira hadn’t even noticed Ryuji getting back off the bed and approaching him until Ryuji's hand was grabbing the front of his shirt and his lips were pressing against his own, effectively silencing his ramblings.

“ _Shit_ , Akira, I get that you got a lot going on in your mind, but you gotta learn to _calm down_ ,” Ryuji commented after breaking the kiss, relieved to see embarrassment taking the place of some of the stress in Akira’s expression.

“I know, but--!!”

Akira was cut off by another kiss to the lips, his blush darkening and his legs feeling weak.

“R-Ryuji, I’m trying to be s--!!”

Again, Ryuji cut him off with a kiss, and Akira’s legs finally gave out on him as he leaned against Ryuji, who kept his arms around Akira to support him as he pulled back with a toothy grin that bordered on a smirk.

“There, now was that so hard?”

Akira wanted to give Ryuji a witty reply, but his brain refused to cooperate enough to produce anything more than, “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you.”

“A bit,” Ryuji admitted in a tone that definitely meant he was enjoying this more than just “ _a bit_ ”--and despite Akira’s embarrassment, he couldn’t say that he really minded.

That’s why he put up no protest when Ryuji half-pulled, half-carried him over to the bed and laid him down, nor did he protest when Ryuji climbed onto the bed as well, hovering over him and pausing only to take Akira’s glasses off before kissing him again.

“Overthinking shit’s not gonna help,” Ryuji murmured. “Stop stressing yourself out and just relax.”

“I… I’m fine,” Akira replied weakly. “Really, you don’t have to--”

“I’m not doing any of this ‘cuz I _have to_ , I’m doing it ‘cuz I _want to_.” Ryuji frowned. “I’m not gonna lie and say I can help you with planning shit--hell, I could barely follow half of what you were talking about--but I know what I _can_ do to help you.”

With that, Ryuji kissed Akira again, relieved when he felt Akira melting into the kiss.

Though Ryuji had no experience with physical relationships of any kind--hell, the furthest he'd ever gotten was holding a girl's hand in fifth grade on a school trip--he knew that if this was the only thing he could do to support Akira and help pull him out of his head, then he might as well go at it full-force, no matter how embarrassing it had been to search dating tips and things that couples did (without going  _too_ far--Ryuji wasn't ready to even think about taking that step any time soon) so he could try and find other things to do to help Akira unwind. It was with the knowledge he'd picked up online (for better or worse) that he tentatively began trailing his lips down from Akira's face to his neck, carefully watching Akira for any signs of discomfort and relaxing slightly in relief when he felt Akira slowly beginning to relax beneath him with a flushed face.

_Still not enough, he’s still a bit tense… so maybe…._

Ryuji nipped at Akira’s skin between his neck and his shoulder, before recoiling as Akira let out a quiet, startled yelp.

“S… shit, sorry, was that bad?”

Akira swallowed thickly, his eyes wide and his face bright red. “I-- n-no, it… it’s fine, I just… it’s been a long time since… and I wasn’t expecting it, but….”

Ryuji watched him carefully. “But it’s fine?”

Akira moved an arm to cover his flushed face as he nodded, and Ryuji found his own face heating up in response as he let the situation sink in.

Ryuji hesitated for a moment before lightly grabbing Akira’s arm and moving it back down onto the bed, revealing Akira’s flustered expression.

“Don’t hide.”

Akira looked like he was going to protest, his expression wavering before he gave in with a small nod.

Satisfied, Ryuji leaned back in and pressed his lips to Akira’s neck, feeling him tremble even before his teeth began to tease Akira’s skin once more, and he couldn't help but take in the feeling of the tension easing out of Akira’s body beneath him with a sense of flustered pride.

When Ryuji straightened up to look at Akira again, he couldn’t help but grin as he saw the dazed look on his face.

_Akira’s brain has officially left the building. I’d say that’s a job well done._

Except Akira was still staring up at him, his face flushed and his expression almost pleading, like he didn’t want Ryuji to stop--

Ryuji swallowed thickly, his blush darkening.

_… Just a bit more won’t hurt, right? It’s making Akira relax, after all._

(That was his reasoning, and he was sticking to it.)

(For now, at least.)

Akira’s eyes drifted shut as Ryuji kissed him again, stiffening in surprise as he felt Ryuji’s lips and teeth moving down to his neck once more before all of the tension immediately bled out of his body--and if there was one thing anyone could say about Ryuji, it was that whenever he was really into something, he was a surprisingly fast learner, his actions gradually growing less hesitant and more confident the longer he focused his attention on the sensitive skin.

Akira wanted to tell Ryuji that if he kept this up, he would end up leaving a mark--but not being able to form coherent words with his head spinning aside… he knew he wasn’t opposed to the idea at all.

It felt so _good_ , everything about this felt so _good_ \--it wasn’t even about the kissing, or the biting, or _anything_ ; it was about _Ryuji,_ and _Ryuji’s_ lips, and _Ryuji’s_ teeth, and _Ryuji_ leaving a mark on his skin for the world to see--and god, it’s been so long, _so long_ since anyone’s done anything like this to him, and if it had been anyone else Akira would have stopped them immediately; but this was _Ryuji_ , the person he loved and adored with every fiber of his being, and the fact that Ryuji was doing all of this for _him_ , to **_him_  **after he'd long since given up hope of ever getting to be with Ryuji like this again….

* * *

_“Wh--_ **_Ryuji!_  **"

_Ryuji pulled back with a laugh, unapologetically grinning at Akira’s flustered expression as his hand moved up to cover his neck._

_“What? It ain’t like you’ve never left a mark on me before. Figured I should get a little payback.”_

_Akira huffed. “That’s… that’s different. You can cover it up more easily than I can.”_

_“And why do you gotta cover it up?”_

_Ryuji draped his arms over Akira’s shoulders as he leaned forward, his grin dying down to a soft, affectionate smile._

_“I ain’t embarrassed to show off that I got an attractive as fuck boyfriend that loves me. Are you?”_

_Akira couldn’t help but crack a smile as he wrapped his arms around Ryuji in return, leaning in to press a kiss to Ryuji’s lips._

_“Of course I’m not.” With an amused smirk, he added, “But it would be more fun if we had matching marks to show, now wouldn’t it?”_

_“Hey, wait-- no fair, this was supposed to be payback!_ **_Akira!!_** _”_

* * *

“--Akira!! Akira, what’s wrong?!”

Akira blinked dazedly, becoming aware of two things: Ryuji’s worried face hovering over him, and the blurriness of his vision as tears rolled down his face.

“Shit, I’m sorry, did I hurt you-- goddammit, I should’ve stopped--”

Akira opened his mouth to respond only for a soft sob to slip out, and he quickly shook his head instead as he reached up and pulled Ryuji down into a hug.

Ryuji was caught off-guard, but he quickly returned the hug, shifting so they were both laying on their sides as he pulled Akira close and ran his fingers through his hair.

“I’m sorry, I’m not sure what I did that made you upset but I’m sorry--”

Akira shook his head again, forcing himself to speak around the lump in his throat. “Not… not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Ryuji let out a relieved sigh at that, before glancing at Akira in concern. “... Are you alright?”

Akira nodded, shifting down slightly so he could lean his head against Ryuji’s chest. It was easy to lose himself in the sound of Ryuji’s heartbeat and the gentle rise and fall of his chest, and between that and the feeling of Ryuji’s fingers running through his hair, Akira’s breathing gradually began to even out as his tears slowly dried up.

“... Sorry,” Akira murmured. “I think… I think I just got a bit overwhelmed.”

“Overwhelmed?”

“I… you were the last person to ever… do anything like that with me,” Akira admitted quietly, his face flushed. “I told you, I never let anyone initiate anything with me after… you know.”

“Oh….” Ryuji blushed lightly. “Uh… sorry? I didn't mean to go too far--”

Akira laughed softly. “Don’t be sorry. I wasn't expecting it, but I enjoyed it, I promise.”

Ryuji’s blush darkened. “W… well that’s good, then, I guess.” His gaze tentatively flicked down to the mark on Akira’s neck, clear as day against his pale complexion, and he was hardly even aware of his hand trailing down to brush against the mark until he felt Akira shiver against him.

He jerked and quickly pulled his hand away as if burned. “Sorry, I just-- Are you sure you’re alright? I mean, I kinda….”

“I know.” Akira smiled, leaning up to press a kiss to Ryuji’s lips. “I don’t mind.”

“Alright, if you're sure.” Ryuji moved his hand back up to run through Akira’s hair, trying his best to ignore the heat in his cheeks as his gaze kept shifting between the mark on Akira’s neck and the content expression on Akira’s face. Needing to distract himself--and figuring that Akira was calm enough by now--Ryuji decided, reluctantly, to steer the conversation back on track. “So, you never explained why you’re so exhausted.”

Akira hesitated before letting out a quiet sigh. “I was going to bring it up after we changed Kaneshiro’s heart, but… I’ve already started taking on the next palace.”

As Akira expected, Ryuji was not pleased to hear this, though thankfully he managed to keep his irritation reined in--Akira wasn’t sure he could handle Ryuji getting angry with him right now, and he wasn’t too keen on finding out either.

“Taking on a palace by yourself is crazy--you should’ve at least told me, I could’ve come with you.”

Akira shook his head. “I needed you and everyone else to be in top shape for dealing with Kaneshiro.”

“And what about you?” Ryuji’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you think we need our leader in top shape too?”

Akira winced and hid his face against Ryuji’s chest. “... I’m sorry. I know you’re right, I just… this is one palace that I don’t like to wait too long to do, for a couple of different reasons.” He hesitated before adding, “It was only draining for me because it was two palaces at once, not because I couldn’t handle it on my own… if that helps any.”

Ryuji let out an irritated breath, his fingers going back to running through Akira’s hair. “And what, you think none of us could’ve handled ourselves too?”

“No, I just….” Akira hesitated, carefully choosing his words before continuing. “Ryuji, it’s not just memories that I retain from each timeline--it would be too complicated to explain how, but I essentially retain Personas too. All of you are still building up your strength; two palaces would have been too much of a strain on you. Some of the Personas that I have, though… I don’t even _need_ to fight--the shadows can sense my Personas’ power and they stay clear of me.”

Ryuji was only slightly surprised to hear this--it made sense, thinking about how the shadows on the upper levels of Mementos would flee from them now that they’d taken down two palaces; and Akira always seemed to be swapping out different Personas to the point where Ryuji couldn’t even keep track of them, so him having ridiculously overpowered ones hidden away wasn’t too big of a stretch.

“... Fine. I’m still not happy, but as long as you don’t try ‘n’ pull anything like this again, I’ll let it go.”

Akira let out a relieved breath, the tension visibly easing out of his frame as he relaxed against Ryuji. “Thank you. I shouldn’t have to go into her palace anymore except to steal the treasure, which I want to do with everyone after Kaneshiro’s heart is changed--so you don’t have to worry, I promise.”

“Good.” Ryuji pulled Akira up just enough to press a kiss to his lips, the soft, content noise that Akira let out ebbing some of his irritation. “I just worry about you, y’know? I wanna help you, but it’s hard if you won’t let me.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” Akira rested his forehead against Ryuji’s shoulder, letting out a quiet sigh as Ryuji petted his head. “Thank you for being so understanding. I know this is a lot to deal with.”

Ryuji shrugged his free shoulder, ignoring the embarrassed blush that began to heat up his cheeks. “You don’t gotta thank me.”

“But I do.” Akira straightened up, gently pushing Ryuji back on the bed as he moved to hover over him. “I _do_ have to thank you, Ryuji. I don’t think you realize how much even just your presence does for me.” He leaned in, cupping Ryuji’s cheek in his hand and pressing a light kiss to Ryuji’s lips before pulling back with a smile. “I wouldn’t be where I am right now without you--you’ve given me _hope_ , something I haven’t had in _years_ ; and you keep supporting me, giving me the strength to hold myself together and helping me pick up the pieces when I fall apart. How could I _not_ be grateful?”

Ryuji dropped his gaze in embarrassment, though he couldn’t help his lips twitching upward. “I… I should be thanking you too, then--I mean, you’re the only one besides my mom that makes me feel like I’m really worth something. Hell, sometimes I feel like I’m taking advantage; you keep saying that you... loveme, and… and it’s _nice_ , feeling so important--and even if I don’t really know how I feel yet, I just… I just wanna make you feel important too, y’know? Because you _are_ important, to me and to so many other people. So, I mean… I dunno, I’m not even sure what I’m saying anymore….”

Ryuji’s weak laugh was cut off by Akira’s lips pressing against his own, and his blush darkened heavily at the intensity behind the kiss, the action filled with so much passion and affection that it left Ryuji feeling breathless long after Akira pulled back.

“I love you so much,” Akira murmured, resting his forehead against Ryuji’s. “And I promise, you’re never taking advantage--you make me feel important too, every time you kiss me, or hug me, or even so much as smile at me.”

Ryuji’s expression relaxed in relief despite his embarrassment, and he reached up to drape his arms over Akira’s shoulders, a small smile on his face. “I’m glad, then.”

The two of them leaned in, intending on kissing once more, when they were suddenly interrupted by a loud voice.

“I thought I told you two to be decent by the time I got back!!”

Ryuji yelped, Akira’s quick reflexes being the only thing preventing Ryuji from accidentally headbutting him as he hastily sat up, his face bright red in embarrassment.

“I-it’s not what you think, you damn cat!”

“I’m not a cat!!”

Akira chuckled, smiling fondly and reaching out to grab his glasses while Ryuji and Morgana bickered with one another.

He knew there were things that still needed to be discussed--he still hadn’t come up with a concrete game plan, nor did he figure out exactly how he would tell the rest of the group about Futaba’s palace--but for now, he found it difficult to worry about anything with the lingering feeling of Ryuji’s lips against his own and the slight tingling of the bruise on his neck, his fingers absentmindedly moving to brush against it as he fought to keep his smile from widening into a silly, lovestruck grin.

If this was what Ryuji was going to do to him whenever he got stressed, then maybe he should get stressed more often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: [throws Morgana at Akira and Ryuji] go cockblock them so I can finish this chapter or they're never going to stop kissing


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone remind me to never say "this is going to be a short chapter" again, every time I tell myself that the chapters just keep getting longer--

Akira felt like he was on cloud nine, and he couldn’t even bring himself to care if it showed.

The bruise on his neck had faded slightly after a day or two, yet every time Akira so much as glanced at it in the mirror or in the reflection on his phone, he found himself repressing a grin. Even if the memories from the first timeline hurt sometimes, the fact that he had something now that was close to what he had back then (he would even go so far as to say it was _better_ in some ways) made his heart feel like it was swelling to the point of bursting.

“If you waste those coffee beans, you’re paying for them.”

Akira blinked, pulling himself out of his thoughts and looking down at the coffee that he’d been in the middle of brewing, before quickly moving the coffee pot off the flame and giving Sojiro a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, I got distracted.”

Sojiro huffed, though he couldn’t quite hide the small smile on his face. “I noticed. You’ve had your head up in the clouds for weeks now.” His expression softened slightly as he added, “That Sakamoto kid’s doing you some good, huh.”

Akira’s face flushed, and he fought valiantly--yet futilely--to keep the silly grin off of his face. “Are we that obvious?”

Sojiro rolled his eyes in fond amusement before dropping his gaze back down to the coffee mugs that he was drying and putting away. “When you first got here, you hardly even looked alive--hell, I don’t think I ever saw you genuinely smiling until after that Sakamoto kid started coming around to visit you.”

“... Yeah. I… honestly, I’m in a much better place now, thanks to him. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

Sojiro paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully before speaking. “Well, I can't say I know much about… how do you kids put it? ‘Playing for the other team’? But as long as you have someone who makes you happy, then good for you.”

This time Akira really couldn’t keep the grin off of his face, his heart swelling--he loved his friends (and Ryuji) dearly, but one of the hardest parts of resetting was losing Sojiro’s fatherly affection and support, and it always felt like he was returning home whenever the bond between the two of them was forged once more.

As far as Akira was concerned, he had no parents outside of Tokyo. Sojiro was a better parent to him than either of his actual parents, and even if he had to reform their bond a hundred times over, it was worth it each and every time.

“Thank you,” Akira responded, wanting to express the full extent of his gratitude but at the same time not wanting to weird Sojiro out--after all, as far as Sojiro knew, the two of them had only known each other for about three months now. “I appreciate that.”

(He’d made the mistake of getting a bit too familiar too quickly once or twice, and it hadn’t ended well. He’d prefer to avoid a repeat of that, especially when this timeline was going almost perfectly so far.)

“Just don’t go scaring off the customers,” Sojiro added, more wry than warning. “If you two get too loud upstairs, I’m kicking you both out.”

Akira jerked and nearly poured the scalding coffee straight onto his hand in surprise, his face flushing at the insinuation. “We-- we won't, I promise,” he replied weakly, ducking his head in embarrassment.

(Well, at least it was better than the time Sojiro found out he was dating Ann and “thoughtfully” supplied him with some condoms--now _that_ had been mortifying. At least Ann had been kind enough to laugh the situation off with him when she found out.)

Sojiro walked over to him and picked up one of the cups of coffee that he poured, giving it a bit to cool before taking a sip.

Akira smiled. “I know it’s nowhere near as good as yours.”

“Hm.” Sojiro cracked a small smile. “No, you’ve got some real talent, kid. Who’d you say taught you?”

“My father,” Akira replied, inwardly relishing in the only moment he’d get for at least a few more months before he could openly acknowledge Sojiro as a father figure.

“Hmm… can’t say I remember him being all that into coffee, but my memory isn’t the best.”

Akira shrugged. “Watching you at work helps too. I’m a fast learner.”

“That so?” Sojiro glanced at him for a moment before setting down the coffee cup and gesturing to the stove. “Then why don’t we see just how fast of a learner you are? Might as well teach you how to make LeBlanc’s specialty curry if you’re going to spend some time helping me out here--but I’m warning you now, it’s not as simple as making regular old curry.”

Akira fought to keep his smile from widening--of course, he already knew how to make it, and had years to perfect the recipe to the point where even Sojiro would end up admitting defeat… but he would never turn down an offer like this, even if he wasn’t trying to work on strengthening his bonds with all the most important people in his life.

No matter how many times he repeated this year, there were certain moments that he just couldn’t let pass by.

“I’ll do my best.”

* * *

Ryuji sighed as he laid down on his bed, staring up at his ceiling.

Before, with all the hecticness that came from balancing taking on a palace with occasional Mementos runs, he’d been too distracted and too exhausted to bother being introspective--but now that they were at the last leg of their palace run, with all the calling cards already made and sitting in a bag on his desk ready to be put up all over Shibuya so they could steal Kaneshiro’s treasure, Ryuji found himself with nothing to distract himself from his thoughts.

Thoughts that seemed to be growing more and more centered around Akira.

Ryuji groaned, running a hand over his face. At this point, he would have to be an idiot to deny that he was at least physically attracted to Akira--and honestly, who wouldn’t be?--but as far as his _feelings_? He had no clue, and the frustration of not being able to understand was killing him.

It wasn’t even like he had anything to be afraid of, as far as acknowledging his feelings: Akira had already cleared that hurdle like the smooth motherfucker that he was, making sure that there were no doubts in Ryuji’s mind as to how he felt, so it wasn’t like he had to go through the hemming and hawing and “what if he doesn’t like me back” crap that he’d seen in every cliche romantic scenario.

It was just the fact that he had no idea whether he _loved_ Akira, or if he just loved the fact that _Akira_ loved _him_.

(Which was horrible, he _knew_ it was horrible and completely taking advantage of Akira’s feelings, even if Akira had assured him that he wasn’t--but he couldn’t help how _good_ it felt to have someone looking at him with that look of pure adoration, like he was more than just the useless violent idiot fuckup that everyone else had convinced him he was, like he was _worth_ loving.)

Before he was even conscious of what he was doing, he had his phone out and his thumb hovering over Ann’s name, embarrassment being the only thing holding him back.

“Ughhh, fuck it!”

He pressed the call button and held the phone against his ear, forcing himself to stay on the line as it rang once, twice--

“ _Ryuji?_ ”

“Uh… hey Ann.”

“ _Is everything alright? You don’t sound too good._ ”

The genuine concern in her voice helped ease some of the tension in his frame, and he let out a quiet sigh. “Yeah, I just… can I ask you something?”

“ _Sure-- oh, hold on, let me put you on speaker for a sec._ ”

Okay, scratch that part about him starting to relax a bit. “What? Why??”

Ryuji could practically hear Ann rolling her eyes as she replied, “ _I was in the middle of painting my nails when you so rudely interrupted me--so unless you want to come over and let me paint your nails too while we continue this conversation, you’ll have to put up with being on speaker phone._ ”

Ryuji huffed, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Thanks but no thanks.” With the slightest bit of embarrassment, he added, “But, uh… you _are_ alone, right?”

He could hear the fond exasperation in her voice as she replied, “ **_Yes_ ** _, Ryuji, now are you going to spit out whatever’s bothering you or am I going to have to drag it out of you?_ ”

Ryuji shifted on his bed, sitting up slightly as he stalled before finally forcing out, “How’d you know you’re gay?”

“ _Ryuji, I’m bi._ ”

“Same difference. How’d you know you’re _bi_ , then?”

“ _... Is this about you and Akira?_ ”

Ryuji groaned. “Seriously, does _everyone_ know?”

Ann’s laughter did nothing to ease his embarrassment. “ _You two aren’t exactly subtle._ ”

Getting tired of holding his phone up--and figuring that his mom wouldn’t be home for at least another hour or two anyway--Ryuji put his phone on speaker as well and set it down. “Fine, lemme ask a different question, then: how’d you figure out that you had feelings for Shiho?”

Ann hummed, apparently giving his question serious thought (which Ryuji inwardly appreciated--he called for _help_ , not to get laughed at, damn it). “ _I guess… it was when Shiho was getting ready to move away. When I realized I wouldn’t be able to see her every day, I just… I guess I realized just how much she meant to me--friends come and go, but someone special… they’re irreplaceable, you know?_ ” Laughing softly, she added, “ _It also helped when she gave me a goodbye kiss, and I realized that I wanted more than just a kiss on the cheek._ ”

“Huh….” Ryuji frowned, taking everything she said in and trying to apply it to himself and Akira--if everything went well with this crazy time loop situation (which it would, Ryuji would find a way to make sure it did), Akira would have to move back home once his probation was over. How would Ryuji feel, seeing Akira off and knowing that he’d have to go on with his life without being able to see Akira whenever he wanted?

He could have sworn he physically felt his chest constricting at the mere thought, so he figured he must be on the right track to figuring something out.

“How’s she doing, anyway?” he asked, putting the matter of his own feelings aside for the moment.

“ _She’s great! She sounds so much happier at her new school,_ ” Ann replied, her bright smile shining through in her voice, and Ryuji couldn’t help but smile as well.

“Good. After all the shit with Kamoshida, she deserves to be able to enjoy herself.”

If someone hadn’t encouraged Shiho to transfer out of Shujin… Ryuji didn’t even want to think about what Kamoshida might have done to her, or what breaking point Shiho might have been pushed to.

(Apparently, Shiho still hadn’t disclosed who had given her the push she needed to escape from Kamoshida’s clutches, not even to Ann--she was sworn to secrecy by her savior, and had taken the vow to heart.)

(Ryuji had a hunch just who that savior was, now.)

“ _Yeah…._ ” Ann fell quiet for a moment, humming slightly to herself as she (presumably) continued painting her nails before suddenly breaking the silence. “ _So, I’m pretty sure you didn’t call just to talk about_ **_my_ ** _love life._ ”

Ryuji let out a half-sigh, half-groan. “If it _was_ my ‘love life,’ I wouldn’t be having a problem.”

“ _Aren’t you and Akira together?_ ”

Ryuji blushed. “Yes? No? I have no idea!” He hesitated before adding, “Akira’s… he’s already made his feelings clear, so it ain’t like it’s his fault, but I just….”

“ _You’re not sure how you feel?_ ” Ann’s incredulous expression came through clearly in her tone. “ _Ryuji, this is_ **_Akira_ ** _\--I’m pretty sure practically_ **_everyone_ ** _would jump at the chance to be in a relationship with him. Are you seriously saying you don’t know if you’re into him??_ ”

“It’s not about being _into_ him--it’s about whether or not I’m _in love_ with him!”

“ _Wait… when you said Akira made his feelings clear, do you mean--_ ”

“Don’ make me say it,” Ryuji replied, pulling a pillow over his face as if it would help hide the embarrassment in his voice--with good timing, too, as the pillow conveniently muffled the sound of Ann’s squealing.

“ _Oh my god, I thought he just admitted to having the hots for you--but he told you he_ **_loves_ ** _you?? That’s so sweet!_ ”

“Ann, please, you’re not helping me here. At all. This is, like, the opposite of helping.”

“ _Sorry, sorry--so you’re having trouble figuring out if you love him back, then?_ ”

Ryuji moved the pillow off of his face with a sigh. “I mean, there’s _liking_  a guy, and then there’s being  _in love_ with him--and I know for sure that I _like_ him just fine, but like… do I just like him ‘cuz he’s my best friend? Can you be attracted to your best friend without being in love with him?”

“ _Well, technically yes… but Ryuji--and I can’t_ **_believe_ ** _I’m saying this--you’re_ **_overthinking_ ** _things. I’ve seen the way Akira looks at you, and I’ve seen the way you look at him; you two couldn’t be crushing any harder on each other if you tried._ ”

Ryuji blushed. “But… I mean, ain’t a crush different from being in love? I just….” He hesitated for a moment, his voice growing quiet as he said, “I just don’t wanna let him down, y’know?”

“ _Ryuji…._ ”

Ann’s sympathy was both humiliating and relieving--he hated feeling so vulnerable, but at the same time, it felt good to put some of his worries out and have someone who cared listening to him.

“ _Did he tell you that he wanted a response?_ ”

“... Well, no, not really… he told me not to force it, and that he’s willing to wait however long it takes for me to figure out how I feel--I just feel guilty keeping him waiting.”

“ _Akira’s right--something like this shouldn’t be rushed. He wouldn’t have told you he doesn’t mind waiting if he wanted to pressure you._ ” Ryuji could hear Ann’s soft smile through her tone. “ _Don’t stress out about it, okay? Just take your time, and you’ll figure it out._ ”

Ryuji sighed quietly, a small smile on his face. “... Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“ _Of course I’m right. When have I ever been wrong?_ ”

“You want the long list or the short one?”

“ _Oh ha-ha. Remind me,_ **_who_ ** _called_ **_who_ ** _for relationship advice, exactly?_ ”

“This entire phone call was a mistake and it never happened.”

“ _You say that now, but you’ll be thanking me for my words of wisdom soon enough. I accept payments for my services in the form of desserts, just so you know._ ”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll pick you up something before school tomorrow.” Ryuji paused, hesitating for a moment before quietly adding, “But, uh… seriously, thanks for listening. I know it’s prolly stupid to be stressing out over something like this, but… I mean, even if I don’t know if I _love_ him, I still care a lot about him, y’know? I just don’t wanna screw this up.”

“ _Ryuji, I promise, there’s no way you could possibly screw this up. Think about it--even if you end up realizing that you only like him as a friend, do you really think Akira would hold that against you?_ ”

“... I guess not,” Ryuji admitted after a moment of thought--he was sure Akira would be upset (and _boy_ did the thought of upsetting Akira make him feel sick to his stomach), but he had a feeling (a not-so-great one) that Akira loved him so much that he wouldn’t even think about holding something like that against him.

(Was it normal to feel this sick over the thought of hurting a friend? Maybe that was another hint that his feelings were more than just friendship--but no, Akira and Ann were both right, there was no point in rushing things.)

“ _Exactly,_ ” Ann responded, pulling Ryuji from his thoughts. “ _So stop worrying--we’ve got plenty of other things to worry about anyway._ ”

Ryuji frowned slightly, immediately knowing what she was talking about. “Yeah… gotta put up all those calling cards tomorrow. Spent practically all night making ‘em with Makoto--she’s even more of a perfectionist than Yusuke was with Madarame’s, I swear.” He hesitated for a moment before adding, “You really think Kaneshiro will end up seeing one?”

“ _We don’t really have any way of making sure, but it’s our best bet. Good luck putting them all up._ ”

“Oh sure, don’t even offer to help, I see how it is,” Ryuji responded with a roll of his eyes. “Making me do all the work, demanding sweets… who needs enemies with friends like you?”

“ _You know you love me_ ,” Ann replied, and Ryuji rolled his eyes again as he heard her blow an exaggerated kiss into the phone.

“I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.”

“ _Charming. It’s a wonder how Akira isn’t beating the ladies off of you with a stick._ ”

Ryuji snorted. “Please. If anyone’s gotta beat ladies off of anyone with a stick, y’know it’s me trying to keep everyone off of him.”

“ _Can you blame everyone, though? He’s literally perfect._ ”

_Not really_ , Ryuji wanted to reply. _He keeps shit to himself, he’s bad at asking for help when he needs it, he acts like a damn martyr all the time, he’s constantly overthinking shit and stressing himself out…._

(Somehow, it felt good knowing that he was the only one that got the privilege of seeing Akira’s flaws, instead of just seeing the perfect mask that he constantly wore like everyone else did.)

“Yeah, I know.”

Ryuji glanced over at his phone, taking note of the time before letting out a sigh.

“Guess I should prolly get some sleep. Makoto’ll have my head if I don’t get up early enough to put up all those calling cards.”

“ _Yeah, I’m pretty sure Akira likes your head attached to your body, so that sounds like a good idea._ ”

“And what, you don’t?”

“ _I dunno, you might be able to pull the whole headless look off._ ”

Ryuji rolled his eyes. “And on _that_ pleasant note, goodnight.”

“ _Goodnight~_ ”

Ryuji picked up his phone and ended the call, staring at the screen for a moment longer before setting it aside with the slightest hint of a smile.

With his mind put at ease, at least for the moment, Ryuji quickly found himself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Kaneshiro’s change of heart was a success, both to Akira’s relief and dread.

Relief, because everything was going well so far, and dread, because he still hadn’t one-hundred percent decided how to handle everything that would come after this.

Still, there was no sense in worrying anyone (especially not Ryuji, who seemed to be especially adept at realizing when he was hiding something lately--which was both a blessing and a curse), and so he kept a smile on his face as he slipped a small umbrella into his bag and headed out to meet up with his friends for the fireworks festival.

Thankfully Morgana chalked it up to a thief’s sixth sense when Akira pulled the umbrella out as it started to rain, and Makoto and Ann were too relieved by the cover provided to them as Akira handed them the umbrella to bother questioning how Akira had known it was going to rain in the first place.

“Hiding any more umbrellas in there?” Ryuji asked with a nudge as they hurried to find some shelter, an eyebrow raised expectantly.

“Sorry, Morgana took up the rest of the room in my bag.” His lips quirked upward in amusement as he added, “You can try and use him for cover if you want.”

“ _Hey!_ ” came the shout from inside his bag, prompting a chuckle from Akira and a laugh from Ryuji.

“Nah, I don’t got a death wish. I’ll take dealing with some water over dealing with Mona’s claws in my face.”

The group of five (or six, counting Morgana) took cover under the awning of a nearby convenience store, collectively bemoaning their celebration being ruined by the weather before eventually deciding to just continue their conversation inside.

Which really wasn’t much better, since air conditioning and soaked clothes didn’t go too well together, but oh well.

Akira remained quiet as the group half-talked, and half-complained amongst themselves, his thoughts turning inward as he debated what he should do next.

He was almost positive that Medjed would be declaring war on them that night. Granted, things didn’t always happen in the exact same order, especially with how he constantly kept changing his actions during each reset, but given how closely this particular timeline seemed to resemble the first timeline….

Akira knew he needed to talk to everyone about Futaba’s palace--the sooner after Medjed’s war declaration, the better… except everyone would already be home by the time Medjed’s declaration aired on TV, and they probably wouldn’t be able to meet up until at least a day later, if not longer.

If only--

“... The rain is letting up,” Yusuke said, catching Akira’s attention. “Though it’s regrettable, we should go our separate ways for today.”

“Actually,” Akira interrupted before anyone could agree to Yusuke’s suggestion, “how about we go back to LeBlanc? It would be a shame to end the night on a bad note like this--we could at least warm ourselves up with some coffee.”

“Would Boss mind us coming over so late, though?” Makoto questioned.

Surprisingly, Ryuji spoke up before Akira could. “Nah, he never minds as long as Akira closes up for him. I’m all for moving the party to LeBlanc!”

With Ryuji’s enthusiastic agreement, the other three members of their group seemed to warm up to the idea as well.

Makoto smiled. “Well, I suppose I could go for a nice cup of coffee, so long as Boss doesn’t mind.”

Yusuke nodded in agreement. “Yes, some of Boss’s coffee sounds like a wonderful way to end the evening.”

“Then it’s decided!” Ann replied with a grin. “Let’s go catch the train before it gets too late!”

Akira glanced over at Ryuji, intending on saying something to him--what that something was, however, flew completely out of his mind as Ryuji shot him a wink while everyone’s back was to them.

“Told’ja I got your back,” he whispered, affectionately bumping his shoulder against Akira’s before rushing off to catch up with the rest of their group, leaving Akira staring at him in a dazed shock.

God bless this sweet ray of sunshine in his life, who had somehow realized what Akira was trying to do and supported him in a way that felt so casual that even _Akira_ had been fooled.

Akira was pretty sure he just fell in love with Ryuji all over again.

“Hey, what are you waiting for!”

Shaking himself out of his daze at the sound of Morgana’s voice, Akira fought back a grin as he rushed to catch up with his friends.

* * *

Ryuji was grateful that he was getting better and better at reading between the lines, at least when it came to Akira.

Though he wasn’t entirely sure what Akira had in mind, he could tell just from watching him that he had something that he wanted to say--something that he either couldn’t say in public, or that he couldn’t say because it had something to do with the future.

Thankfully, it seemed it was the former, which was a hell of a lot easier to help him out with: all it took was a little bit of encouragement from him to get the rest of their group to agree to Akira’s suggestion, and the look on Akira’s face when Ryuji told him that he had his back (with an impulsive wink that probably looked stupider than he imagined it would be) made it all worth it.

It was like Akira thought he was some kind of god that just performed a miracle in front of his eyes--which was about as flattering as it was embarrassing.

(It made his heart clench in sympathy, too--was it really that groundbreaking for someone to help Akira out unprompted?)

Once the group got back to LeBlanc--after Akira stalled the group for just long enough without it feeling suspicious, to make sure that they wouldn’t run into Sae--they were greeted by Sojiro in a less-than-pleasant mood, though he seemed to at least make an attempt to soften his appearance as he let out a sigh.

“If you’re going to invite your friends over, then I expect you to clean up and close up when you’re done,” was all Sojiro said before heading out, much to the disappointment of most of their group.

“I guess this means we won’t get any of Boss’s coffee,” Ann commented after Sojiro left.

Ryuji grinned and gestured to Akira. “Don’t be too disappointed--Akira’s coffee blows Boss’s outta the water, trust me.”

Akira cracked a small smile as he made his way around the bar counter. “I wouldn’t say that, but thank you.”

The group of four slid into one of the booths and made themselves comfortable, Ann and Makoto on the inside facing across from one another while Ryuji and Yusuke sat on the outside, and Morgana jumped up to sit on top of the table, completing the group.

Akira watched them talk and laugh amongst themselves with a soft smile as he made coffee for them (one pot with the blend that Ryuji liked best, which he knew Ann would enjoy as well, and another pot with Yusuke and Makoto’s preferred blend), and though he knew this was only the calm before the storm, he still couldn’t help but enjoy the peacefulness of the moment.

He poured four cups of coffee once both pots were finished, and was going to try to carry them all when Ryuji slid out of his seat and over to the bar with a smile.

“Here, lemme grab two of those for you.”

Akira’s smile widened slightly--though whether it was from his heart swelling from Ryuji’s constant eagerness to help him, or from Ann watching them and mouthing “ _gay_ ” with an amused grin in the background, it was hard to say. “Thank you. You can take these two, they’re for you and Ann.”

Ryuji took the two cups and sat back down in the booth, passing Ann’s to her and elbowing her with an embarrassed expression when she whispered something to him before glaring at Morgana as he snickered.

Makoto and Yusuke both seemed unfazed by the light bickering as they accepted their coffee from Akira, who gave them both a smile.

“I hope it’s to your liking.”

Yusuke was the first to take a sip, humming thoughtfully and giving Akira a small smile. “It’s divine. Boss’s coffee has its own unique appeal, but it seems that Ryuji was right after all--your coffee is incredible.”

Somehow, Ryuji seemed more proud of Akira’s coffee being praised than Akira himself as he grinned. “See? Told’ja.”

Ann and Makoto took sips of their coffee as well, Ann letting out a delighted noise while Makoto sighed in contentment.

“What about me?” Morgana questioned with a huff, and Akira smiled in amusement as he reached over and pet the cat.

“I didn’t forget about you, don’t worry.”

Heading back around the counter, Akira prepared a bowl of milk for Morgana and poured himself a cup of Yusuke and Makoto’s blend of coffee (he loved Ryuji, but he himself was about all the sweetness Akira could handle--he had no idea how Ann or Ryuji didn’t have cavities from all the sugary food and drinks they enjoyed). He brought the bowl of milk over to the booth first, setting it down on the table for Morgana before finally grabbing himself a chair and taking a seat at the head of the table with his own cup of coffee in hand.

The TV continued to play in the background, providing white noise to their conversation, though Ryuji couldn’t help but notice that Akira’s gaze seemed to occasionally flicker towards the screen, as if waiting for something.

Ryuji realized exactly what he was waiting for moments before the reporter’s voice broke through their lighthearted chatter.

“ _... Onto other news: The international hacktivist group Medjed has released a statement to the Phantom Thieves._ ”

Immediately, the room went silent, all eyes shooting over towards the TV.

All except Ryuji, whose gaze instead shot over to meet Akira’s.

Akira lightly bumped his leg against Ryuji’s under the table before pointedly returning his gaze to the TV, and somehow the message got across to Ryuji well enough.

_Staring at Akira’s gonna look suspicious. Gotta pretend I had no clue this was gonna happen._

Ryuji forced his trepidation down as he returned his gaze to the screen as well, tuning back in to what the reporter was saying.

“ _... that are posted on Medjed’s website: ‘To the Phantom Thieves causing an uproar in Japan: Do not speak of your false justice. We do not need the spread of such falsehood. We are the true executors of justice. However, we are magnanimous. We will give you an opportunity to repent your ways. If you agree to a change of heart, we will accept you as our own. If you reject our offer, the hammer of justice will find you. We are Medjed. We are unseen. We will eliminate evil.’_ ”

The TV reporter began to speak with the detective Akechi, and Ryuji went to turn away from the screen in annoyance only to end up catching a glance of Akira’s expression--and a cold shiver ran down his spine at the dark look in Akira’s eyes as he stared at Akechi’s face on the screen.

_… The hell…?_

Pushing the matter aside for the moment, Ryuji returned Akira’s favor by lightly tapping his foot against Akira’s leg, pulling his attention away from the screen (and hopefully pulling his mind away from whatever the hell was prompting such a weird look on his face, one that--thankfully--no one else seemed to notice) as he grabbed the remote and shut the TV off, leaving the room in silence.

Ann was the first to break the silence, her voice quiet and her expression troubled. “... Medjed…. Why is a group like that targeting us?”

Makoto frowned. “It’s hard to say… either they see us as a threat, or they’re just looking for attention.”

“Medjed… such an interesting choice of a name,” Yusuke murmured, more to himself than the group. “If I remember correctly, it comes from one of the obscure gods from the Egyptian Book of the Dead.”

“Dude, I’m pretty sure that ain’t all that important,” Ryuji commended with a roll of his eyes before grinning--it wasn’t as hard as he thought it would be to pretend that he had no idea this was going to happen, not when the genuine excitement of a new target for the Phantom Thieves was already bubbling up inside him. “What _is_ important, though, is taking ‘em down--I mean think about it, that reporter just said they’re an _international group_ , right? That’s gotta be an even bigger target than even Kaneshiro!”

“But are they criminals?” Yusuke questioned with a frown. “I’m afraid I don’t know much about them.”

“They’re like… bad hackers or something, right?” Ryuji scratched his head. “I mean, that whole message they left kinda screamed ‘self-entitled bad guys’, didn’t it?”

“Technically, they’re crackers: people who use the Internet to illegally access and alter data,” Makoto explained. “Medjed is an organized group of such people recognized by the larger international community.”

“Then that settles it!” Ann said with an excited smile.

Morgana seemed excited as well. “Looks like you _do_ occasionally have some good ideas, blondie!”

Ryuji huffed. “What’s that supposed to mean, huh? I’ve always got good ideas! Right, Akira?”

Akira couldn’t help but crack a smile as Ryuji looked over at him. “I would agree, except you all seem to be forgetting one thing.”

Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana blinked, all looking confused, and Makoto let out a quiet sigh while Yusuke shook his head slightly in amusement.

“It would be impossible to change Medjed’s heart,” Makoto began, “because Medjed isn’t a _person_ \--it’s a pseudonym for a group of people. We don’t even know how many people are a part of Medjed, and their only confirmed presence has been online, so we don’t have a location either.”

Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana all winced and dropped their gazes in defeat.

“This is a greater problem than simply finding their keywords,” Yusuke added. “Unless you have any more ideas, Ryuji?”

“Hey, why are you singling me out?!”

“Because it was your idea!” Ann replied.

“You agreed with me!” Ryuji shot a glare at Morgana when the cat huffed. “Don’t give me that look, _you_ agreed with me too!”

“Yeah, and I should have known better,” Morgana replied, prompting a scowl from Ryuji.

Before Ryuji could respond, Akira cleared his throat, catching the attention of the rest of the table.

“Ryuji wasn’t very far off, so don’t tease him too badly.”

The words came off as a warning more than a simple statement, and Ryuji tried to fight back the blush that threatened to work its way onto his face as Akira defended him.

“What do you mean?” Makoto questioned.

Akira smiled. “In Ryuji’s words, we have to _take them down_ , not necessarily change their heart.”

“And how do you propose we do that, then?” Yusuke eyed Akira curiously. “What other methods would we have to take down a criminal group aside from changing their heart?”

“How about changing the heart of someone who has the skills necessary to take down a group of hackers?”

Akira took out his phone and opened the Meta-Nav, pulling up the history before showing it to the group.

“... ‘Futaba Sakura’.... Wait, why does the name ‘Sakura’ sound familiar?” Ann questioned.

“Isn’t that Boss’s last name?” Makoto questioned, prompting a surprised exclamation from both Ann and Ryuji. “Don’t tell me you two forgot…?”

Yusuke turned his attention away from the phone and back up to Akira. “In any case, who is this person, and how did you know that they have a palace?”

“She’s Sojiro’s daughter,” Akira explained. “As for how I knew about her palace, well….”

Akira glanced up, turning his gaze directly towards one of the corners of the cafe. “Alibaba, you’re listening, aren’t you?”

The screen of Akira’s phone changed, the Meta-Nav closing and being replaced with the chat app as messages began to appear on the screen.

> **I guess that’s my cue** ****  
>  **Pleasure to finally meet all of you, Phantom Thieves**  
****>   **My name is Alibaba**

The entire group leaned forward on the table, crowding around Akira’s phone with mixed expressions of shock and confusion.

> **I am the one that requested a change of heart for Futaba Sakura**  
>  **It seems that you’re in a bit of a bind now, as well**  
> I **had nothing to offer before as compensation, but this timing is almost too perfect to pass up**  
>  **So, Phantom Thieves**  
>  **How about we make a deal?**  
>  **Change Futaba Sakura’s heart, and I can get rid of your Medjed problem**  
>  **Refuse, and I have video and audio evidence of your identities**

Ryuji scowled. “What the hell! This ain’t asking for help, it’s blackmail!”

> **Call it whatever you want**  
>  **I know you have to make a unanimous decision, so I will give you time**  
>  **Think carefully**  
>  **Your leader knows how to reach me when you’ve come to a decision**

With that, the screen went black, and Akira calmly slipped his phone back into his pocket--a complete contrast to the other members of his group, who were in varied states of confusion, panic, and anger.

“Akira,” Makoto began in a clipped tone, somehow managing to cut through Ryuji, Ann, and Morgana’s combined voices. “Can you please explain how you know this ‘Alibaba,’ when this change of heart request was received, and why none of this was brought to our attention sooner?”

Even after almost one hundred years, Akira still couldn’t help but wince under Makoto’s intense stare, though he otherwise kept his composure as he took a breath.

He wasn’t entirely sure how he was going to talk his way out of this one without exposing all of the truth, but he was sure as hell going to try.


	5. Chapter 5

Even knowing how many decades’ worth of experience Akira had, Ryuji still couldn’t help but be impressed by the verbal hoops he’d managed to jump through just to pacify Makoto and the rest of the team.

Of course, he had to play his part as well--it would look way too suspicious if Ryuji wasn’t as irritated as the rest of them for being left in the dark about the change of heart request (which Ryuji honestly didn’t know about) and the fact that Akira had been going through Futaba’s palace all on his own (which Ryuji did know about, and could now properly voice his disapproval of)--but thankfully Ryuji’s acting was a step above Ann’s, so aside from one suspicious glance from Morgana that he easily derailed with another one of their typical pointless arguments, everything went smoothly.

After the entire group settled down, their irritations more or less put to rest, Akira properly explained Futaba’s situation to them: he told them about what happened to Futaba’s mother, about Sojiro taking her in, about her mental state progressively growing worse….

(Akira knew that Futaba was listening, and he knew he would have to eventually answer her questions that he’d been dodging ever since he first addressed “Alibaba” unprompted a few weeks earlier--but he would worry about that later.)

By the time Akira finished, there were no doubts left on anyone’s faces--Futaba’s heart had to be changed.

“It’s unanimous, then?”

Once everyone gave a nod of agreement, Akira pulled his phone back out.

“Alibaba. You were listening, right?”

> **Yes**  
> **I didn’t expect you all to come to a decision so quickly**

“We’re going to have to meet with you in person. It doesn’t have to be right now, since it’s already late, but would tomorrow work?”

Akira glanced at the rest of his team, wanting their affirmation as well.

“I don’t have anything going on tomorrow, so I’m good,” Ryuji responded with a shrug.

Ann nodded in agreement. “I’m free tomorrow too--the sooner we do this, the better, right?”

“I agree, it would be best not to delay,” Yusuke responded.

“So long as Alibaba agrees as well,” Makoto pointed out, directing their attention back down to Akira’s phone, where it still showed Alibaba typing.

> **...**  
>  **...**  
>  **...**  
>  **Understood. Tomorrow afternoon, then?**

A small, relieved smile flashed across Akira’s face before he nodded. “That’s perfect.”

> **You already know where to find me?**

“Yes.”

> **...**  
>  **I feel bad for anyone that crosses you, Leader of the Phantom Thieves**

Though the statement confused most of the group, Ryuji inwardly couldn’t help but agree--the amount of knowledge that Akira had was dangerous, and he had a feeling that despite Akira being a good guy at heart, he wouldn’t be above using that knowledge to his advantage if someone got on his bad side.

(Case in point: when Ryuji had tried to force Akira to talk to him about what was bothering him, and Akira had unloaded everything, playing the villain and telling him things like how he knew all of Ryuji’s secrets and even things that Ryuji hadn’t even experienced yet.)

The corner of Akira’s lips briefly quirked upward into a smirk before relaxing into his normal, neutral expression.

Akira’s phone screen went black once more, signaling the end of the conversation, and the entire group sat back in their seats with a collective sigh.

“Alright,” Morgana began, straightening up and looking at everyone. “If we’re going to do this tomorrow, then everyone should go home and get some rest.”

Ann glanced at the time on her phone and grimaced. “When did it get so late…?”

“I can walk you all back to the station,” Akira offered.

“Nah, we’ll be fine.” Ryuji gave Akira a smile before standing up, the rest of the group following suit. “Let’s meet up tomorrow and head over to the hideout together.”

Akira smiled as well, standing up so he could see his friends out and lock up after them.

“Sounds good.”

After bidding his friends goodnight and locking the front door, Akira let the tension drain from his body with a quiet sigh as he made his way back over to the table, bringing all of the empty coffee mugs over to the sink to wash them.

“You know,” Morgana started, breaking the silence as he hopped up onto the counter to watch Akira, “sometimes I wonder about you.”

“Hm?”

Morgana looked torn, as if he wanted to say more but wasn’t entirely sure how to go about saying it, before shaking his head slightly. “It’s nothing. Don’t take too long, it’s already late and you need to go to sleep.”

Akira rolled his eyes in amusement. “Whatever you say, mom.”

Morgana huffed. “You’ll be thanking me when you’re rested and ready to go tomorrow.”

“Yes, yes, I know.”

The amusement on Akira’s face faded into a more serious expression as he turned his attention back down to the sink.

_I have the calling card ready… so as long as she lets us in, we can change her heart tomorrow. If all goes well, then maybe…._

Akira’s hands moved on muscle memory, washing everything in the sink while his mind was miles away, slowly but surely forming a tentative plan of action.

* * *

Ryuji stared up at the huge pyramid in front of them in awe, not even needing to look around to know that the rest of his teammates were just as enraptured by the foreign sight.

The only one who was completely unfazed, unsurprisingly, was Akira, who strode towards the stairs with a determined expression.

“Let’s go.”

The group hastily followed their leader inside, the contrast between the cold air inside and the hot air outside sending a collective shiver rushing through them.

“Why’s it so cold in here…?” Ann questioned, rubbing her arms.

“It must be because Futaba’s room was air conditioned,” Makoto responded distractedly as she glanced around.

Ryuji frowned as he thought back to their meeting with Futaba--who had turned out to be Alibaba, which Akira had already known and Makoto had figured out. Hearing the quiver in her voice, watching her shaking like a leaf while trying to be strong and make that huge, terrifying step of asking someone for help….

Well, Ryuji could see why Akira had been pushing to change her heart as quickly as possible. She’d already been through so much without having to deal with her own palace weighing her heart down.

(Akira had confessed to him, once, that he thought of Sojiro as a father figure, even if their bond still hadn’t been fully reformed yet--so if Sojiro was like a father figure to Akira, and Futaba was Sojiro’s daughter… he couldn’t help but wonder if another reason why Akira was so determined to change Futaba’s heart was that he saw her as a younger sister.)

The group made their way up the staircase (Ryuji never wanted to see another step in his entire life after this, _god_ ), only coming to a stop when they approached a closed door.

And in front of the door stood Futaba’s shadow, dressed in Egyptian garb and watching them with a blank, golden-eyed stare.

While the rest of the group, Ryuji included, gripped their weapons and prepared to fight, Akira merely smiled and strode forward, offering the shadow a bow.

“Pharaoh.”

“ _Joker_ ,” the shadow responded, her features seeming to soften slightly. “ _Have you finally come to make good on your promise?_ ”

“I have.”

The shadow’s eyes closed for a moment, before reopening with the slightest hint of relief.

“ _I wish you luck._ ”

Akira smiled knowingly as he responded, “To you as well.”

If the shadow was confused by Akira’s response, there was no sign of it on her features; instead, she merely nodded and faded away, moments before the door behind her opened.

“What was that all about?” Ryuji asked, voicing the question on the rest of his teammates’ minds.

Akira gestured for them to follow him as he began walking through the doorway.

“When I first came to her palace, I made Futaba’s shadow a promise: that when the time was right, I would return to steal her treasure and change her heart.”

“Why did you wish her luck?” Ann asked, moving to walk on Akira’s right while Ryuji walked on his left.

Akira smiled slightly. “She has her own challenge ahead of her,” was the only explanation that he gave as they made their way up to the top of the pyramid--and even if he’d wanted to say more, his voice would have gone unheard over the sound of a loud, inhuman screech that abruptly rang out.

He tuned out his teammates’ startled cries as they looked up at the sphinx flying above them, instead narrowing his eyes as he gripped his mask with one hand and his dagger with the other.

“Everyone, get ready!”

At his command, the rest of his teammates snapped out of their shock and fell into position, and the battle began.

* * *

Futaba’s arrival and subsequent Persona awakening in her own palace came as a shock to everyone, and a relief to Akira.

Everything was still going as it should, even with the few changes that he’d made.

Morgana promised to watch over the unconscious Futaba while she slept--“recharging her batteries,” Sojiro had phrased it for the group after he found them worrying over Futaba’s unconscious body, and thankfully Sojiro had taken their weak excuses as to how they knew Futaba at face-value and had even followed the script, ushering them back to LeBlanc so he could explain his side of the story to them.

Now that Sojiro had closed up shop for the day and the majority of their group had gone home to get some rest, Akira could finally let himself relax.

“You good?”

Ryuji’s voice pulled Akira from his thoughts, the two of them having moved to sit next to each other in one of the booths while idly sipping what was left of their lukewarm coffee, and Akira nodded and lightly leaned against him.

“Tired and relieved, but other than that, I’m good.” Glancing over at Ryuji guiltily, he added, “You didn’t have to stay, you know--I’m sure you’re exhausted too.”

Ryuji shrugged. “Not like it’s much different resting here or resting at home. At least when I’m here, I’m with you.”

Akira blushed lightly and smiled behind his coffee mug as he took another sip. “I’m glad, then.”

A comfortable silence fell between them as Akira continued leaning against Ryuji, the two of them quietly sipping their drinks before Ryuji finally spoke up.

“So, uh… you didn’t look too worried, which I’m taking as a good sign, but… everything that happened at the palace, and after--that was all supposed to happen, right?”

Akira nodded. “I’m honestly relieved by how well everything went.”

“So Futaba getting her Persona--”

“That was supposed to happen, yes. Futaba’s shadow was busy trying to change Futaba’s cognition while we fought off the warped representation of her mother that was holding her back.”

Ryuji’s eyes widened slightly in realization. “So _that’s_ what you were talking about when you said she had ‘her own challenge’ or whatever?”

Akira laughed softly. “Yes.”

“So what’s next, then?” Ryuji rolled his eyes as Akira looked at him in surprise. “C’mon man, you think I don’t know you well enough to know you’ve got something in mind? You wouldn’t have gone ahead with telling us about Futaba and changing her heart if you didn’t have an idea of what needs to happen after this.”

A slow smile worked its way onto Akira’s face as he leaned against Ryuji. “Have I mentioned how much I love you?”

Ryuji blushed and glanced away in embarrassment. “Yeah yeah, that’s not answering my question though.”

Akira laughed softly. “Sorry, I’m just impressed. You’re getting better and better at reading me; I might not be able to hide anything from you anymore at this rate.”

“Maybe take that as a hint to stop hiding things in the first place, then,” Ryuji responded with a light elbow to Akira’s side.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Akira replied wryly, before letting his eyes drift shut as he rested his head on Ryuji’s shoulder. “... Obviously, we still have to have Futaba take down Medjed--but after that… well, I do have the next target in mind, but I think we all deserve a bit of a break, don’t you?”

“Well yeah, tackling two palaces back-to-back like this was definitely exhausting, but….”

“We can afford a break, don’t worry.” Akira smiled. “Technically, we have until Medjed’s deadline before we really need to do anything else, so there’s still plenty of time--though I’d rather be at least close to done with the next palace by that point.”

Ryuji frowned. “You’re keeping quiet about who the next target is.”

“Just until I straighten out a few more details,” Akira replied, opening his eyes and leaning up to press a kiss to Ryuji’s cheek. “But I promise you’ll be the first one I come to if I need help with anything.”

Ryuji blushed lightly, unable to help the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips. “Good, you’d better.”

Akira smirked in amusement. “Or what?”

Lightly pushing Ryuji down in the booth, Akira shifted to straddle him as he stared down at him, watching Ryuji's face fill with color as he stared back up at him. “Will you punish me if I don’t?” he teased.

Ryuji swallowed thickly, forcing his vocal chords to work enough to definitely _not_ squeak out, “Yes…?”

Akira chuckled, leaning forward and lightly teasing his lips over Ryuji’s, just enough to make Ryuji want to chase after his lips as he pulled back.

“Oh? And how would you punish me, hm?”

Ryuji bristled slightly, his pride flaring up even as his blush darkened in embarrassment--just because Akira was more _experienced_ than him didn’t mean he wasn’t capable of taking charge. “I’d… I’d punish you with no more kissing or touching,” Ryuji blurted out the first thing that came to mind--and apparently he struck gold in one try, as Akira’s eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and the slightest hint of panic.

“You wouldn’t.”

Ryuji grinned smugly. “Make sure not to hide anything from me anymore, unless you wanna find that out for yourself.”

Akira blushed, an odd expression crossing his features a moment before he let out a sigh. “... You’re picking up on things way too quickly.”

“Like what, the fact that you can’t keep your hands off of me?” Ryuji teased. “Doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out, man.”

Akira’s expression relaxed into something a bit more melancholy at that, and suddenly Ryuji felt like he’d said something wrong.

“Well, I suppose now I’ll have to make sure not to keep anything from you,” Akira responded with a smile as he sat up. “I wouldn’t want to risk that kind of punishment.”

Ryuji frowned slightly as he sat up as well, and was about to ask Akira what was bothering him when his brain finally decided to start working again.

_Threatening to take away the one thing that helps him after he went almost a hundred years without it. Good job, idiot--joke or not, that’s way too far._

“Akira--”

“I’m going to finish straightening up down here, so why don’t you go upstairs and get changed?” Akira picked up their coffee mugs and brought them over to the sink so he could wash them.

If Ryuji didn’t know Akira as well as he did by now, he would have completely missed the way his hands trembled, the only sign that Akira wasn’t as fine as he was acting.

For a moment he considered just listening to Akira and going upstairs--he’d already fucked things up as it is, after all--but he immediately pushed the thought aside and purposefully strode over to Akira, whose back was to him as he focused on washing the dishes in the sink.

Ignoring the problem would only make things worse. He had to fix this right now.

Akira flinched, startled, as Ryuji’s arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind, pulling him from his (increasingly jumbled and incoherent) thoughts.

“Ryu-- _!!_ ”

He wasn’t even given the chance to say anything as Ryuji turned him around and pulled him into a kiss that caused the trembling in his hands to spread to his entire body.

“I’m sorry,” Ryuji murmured, resting his forehead against Akira’s. “I’m an idiot, I say shit without thinking--but I’d never do that to you, I swear.”

Akira swallowed thickly, trying to force a weak smile as he replied, “I know you were just joking, and I know you wouldn’t… I just….” He laughed weakly. “Well, like you always tell me, I was overthinking things.”

Ryuji frowned, reaching behind Akira to shut off the water in the sink before picking Akira up, prompting a startled yelp from him as he reflexively moved his arms to hold on to Ryuji.

“Ryuji, I still have t-- _mmph!_ ”

Ryuji silenced Akira with a kiss, holding him close as he felt Akira shivering and clinging onto him, and began carrying him towards the stairs.

Akira couldn’t help the soft whimper that slipped out when Ryuji pulled back from the kiss, but was appeased as Ryuji’s lips pressed against his forehead instead as Ryuji carried him all the way upstairs and laid down on the bed with Akira still in his arms.

“I can’t…,” Akira breathed out against Ryuji’s chest, the water on his hands no doubt seeping into Ryuji’s shirt by now--yet Ryuji made no move to push him away, instead continuing to hold him close as he ran his fingers through Akira’s hair. “I thought… I thought about what if-- what if things go bad, what if we fail, what if… what if I have to do this all over again from the beginning, and I just-- I _can’t_.” The tears that he’d been fighting to keep at bay began stinging his eyes and clouding his vision, another soft whimper slipping out as Ryuji’s hand trailed down to cup the side of his face. “... I don’t think my mind will be able to take it, Ryuji… if I lose this, if I lose _you_ , I don’t… I don’t know if what’s left of my sanity will stay intact….”

“You aren’t going to lose anything,” Ryuji reminded him--firmly, resolutely, without a trace of doubt or hesitance. “Not me, not our friends, not _anything._ ”

Ryuji slipped Akira’s glasses off of his face and carefully set them aside before moving his hands back to Akira’s face, brushing away the few tears that fell and languidly peppering him with gentle kisses.

“I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere,” Ryuji murmured. “I won’t stop any of this, either. I promise.”

“But--”

Ryuji silenced Akira with another kiss, a small, satisfied smile tugging at the corners of his lips when he pulled back to see Akira’s flushed face and dazed expression.

“Maybe it makes me a bad person, but… I enjoy this too much to ever stop. I like seeing you like this, and knowing that I’m the only one who can do this to you.”

“You’re not a b--”

Akira’s protest was cut off by yet another kiss from Ryuji, who let out a quiet, breathless laugh once he pulled back.

“I know _you_ don’t think I’m a bad person, you affectionate dork--but you’re biased. Pretty sure I could act like the biggest dumbass in the world and you’d still find a way to prove how incredible I am.” Ryuji smiled affectionately as he rested his forehead against Akira’s. “That’s exactly why I feel like such a bad person, taking advantage like this--I started off just doing this to help you, but somewhere along the way I started enjoying it for more reasons than just that… and to be completely honest? I don’t think I could ever stand going back to the way things were before either.”

Ryuji tried thinking about what it would be like to not have Akira’s affectionate gaze on him; to not see his warm smile or be on the receiving end of his casual touches and his constant words of love and praise; to not be able to reach out whenever he wanted, pulling Akira close to hug him or kiss him while knowing without a doubt that the action would be happily reciprocated….

It _hurt_.

His heart physically felt like it was clenching in his chest, to the point where he could barely breathe--and it hit him that this was what Akira felt like, only so, _so_ much worse, the pain building year after year after _year_ ….

How did Akira even _function_ with that kind of heartache?

As if sensing Ryuji’s thoughts, Akira reached up and pulled him down into another kiss, smiling against Ryuji’s lips as Ryuji pressed himself even closer and deepened the kiss. Only the need for air forced them apart, though not by much: Ryuji laid down on his side and pulled Akira close, burying his face in Akira’s hair while Akira rested his head against Ryuji’s chest.

“I’m glad,” Akira murmured, breaking the comfortable silence between them. “That you don’t want things to go back either, and… that you’re not just doing all of this for me. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you’re never taking advantage.” He smiled as he pressed a light kiss to Ryuji’s chest, feeling Ryuji’s heartbeat quickening under his lips. “A relationship is all about give and take, and I promise, you’re giving just as much as you’re taking, if not more.”

Ryuji hummed in thought, idly moving a hand up to toy with some of Akira’s curls before finally asking, “What exactly _is_ our relationship, anyway? Are we dating, or…?”

Akira blinked, caught off-guard, before smiling and shrugging. “Our relationship is whatever you want it to be. As long as I have you, I don’t need any kind of label.”

Ryuji's face flushed, his fingers stilling in Akira’s hair for a moment before resuming their motions. “And if I… wanted us to be dating?”

Akira blushed lightly as well, looking up at Ryuji with a bright smile. “Then of course I would say yes--I would be happy to be your boyfriend.”

_Boyfriend._

The word ran through Ryuji’s mind, his blush darkening--it had a nice ring to it, especially when proceeded by the words “ _Akira’s my_ ” and “ _I’m Akira’s_ ”.

“You said we’ve got some time to take it easy, right?” When Akira nodded, Ryuji grinned and said, “Then let’s go on a date. I think we could both use a day off together.”

Akira’s blush darkened, a wobbly smile working its way onto his face--he’d gone out with Ryuji plenty of times, but hearing the word _date_ from him… it felt so nostalgic and so exciting that Akira was sure his heart was going to burst.

“A date…,” he murmured, enjoying the feeling of the word on his tongue as his smile widened. “Yeah. I’d love that.”

“Then it’s settled!” Ryuji pulled back just enough to properly look at Akira, a grin still on his face. “What do you feel like doing? Did you wanna go anywhere in particular?”

Akira shrugged. “Surprise me?”

“C’mon man, don’t set the hurdle so high for the first date,” Ryuji joked.

Akira laughed softly. “No, seriously--I’m just happy to be with you; I don’t care where we go or what we do.”

Ryuji hummed in thought, trying to think about what Akira would enjoy most--he had a feeling that Akira had already seen pretty much every nook and cranny that Tokyo had to offer by now, so it wasn’t like he could find anywhere brand new to take him; and if they were together on a date, Akira would probably want to be affectionate, which Ryuji didn’t _mind_ except for the fact that he knew he would probably get self-conscious if they were in a place with a lot of people….

Ryuji smiled sheepishly as he said, “Honestly, the more I’m thinking about it, the more I feel like the best kind’a date for us to both relax would be just hanging out here--but I guess that would make all the other times we did that dates too, huh.”

Akira laughed softly, leaning up to press a kiss to Ryuji’s cheek. “This is exactly why I said we don’t need labels--our relationship is perfect the way it is. A stay-at-home date doesn’t sound too bad, though; we could both use the rest.”

“Yeah, and if we can convince Mona to leave for the day, we could have the whole attic to ourselves.” Ryuji grinned, pressing a kiss to Akira’s cheek in return and murmuring, “Imagine--laying here, just you and me, for hours and hours, doing nothing but kissing and cuddling….”

As Ryuji had hoped, Akira’s face filled with color, his expression already relaxing in bliss at the thought.

“Heh. Figured you’d like that.” His grin died down slightly as he added, “Though really, I’d like to at least try and take you out _somewhere_ ….”

“Then why don’t we do both?” Akira suggested, taking Ryuji’s hand in his own and idly pressing a kiss to each of his knuckles as he spoke. “We can have our stay-at-home date tomorrow, and then go out somewhere during the week--maybe to the arcade, or the movies; whatever you want.”

Ryuji blushed lightly. “I mean, I’m up for that, but… ain’t that just like practically any other time we’ve hung out?”

Akira laughed. “Ryuji, I think you have a very romanticized idea of what a date is--though if you wanted to go the candlelit dinner route, I can’t say I’d mind that either.”

“That’s not--” Ryuji huffed, his gaze shifting away in embarrassment. “It’s not _romanticized_ , I just… whenever you see people going on a date, it’s always something fancy, isn’t it? And…,” his voice lowered to a hesitant murmur as he continued, “... and if we’re gonna go out on our first date--our first _real_ date--I kinda want it to be… special, y’know?”

Akira’s expression softened into a look of pure adoration as he pulled Ryuji into another kiss.

“Then let’s make it the most special, memorable date we’ve ever had.”

“But how…?” Ryuji blinked, his face still flushed, as Akira put a finger to his lips and smirked.

“Just leave that to me,” he replied, pressing a kiss to Ryuji’s cheek, “and look forward to it.”

Though Ryuji wanted to protest--he should be the one coming up with some kind of incredible date to spoil Akira, not the other way around--he couldn’t help but be curious about what Akira had in mind.

After all, Akira had a hell of a lot more experience with dating than he did, and he probably knew Tokyo better than anyone living here their entire life, so maybe it wouldn’t hurt to leave things in Akira’s hands just this once.

(That just meant that he would have to step up his game on their stay-at-home date tomorrow, which Ryuji wouldn’t mind at all.)

Ryuji grinned. “Alright, I’ll leave it to you, then.”

Akira smiled, pleased that Ryuji agreed to let him handle the plans for their date--he already had a few ideas in mind, and with the money that he’d saved up over the past couple of decades (like the already-completed Persona compendium, Akira wasn’t about to start complaining about his money carrying over through each reset, even if he still didn’t understand how exactly that worked) it wouldn’t be too hard to arrange for anything despite it being so last-minute.

“We should get ready for bed, it’s getting late.”

Akira reluctantly sat up as he spoke, feeling his exhaustion kicking in now that the caffeine from the coffee had faded from his system, and Ryuji seemed to be in a similar state as he sat up as well and yawned.

“Yeah, sounds good. Mind if I crash here for tonight? Since we’re gonna just be lounging around here tomorrow anyways.”

Akira shot him an amused smile. “Would I ever mind you sleeping over?”

“Heh, true.” Ryuji wrapped an arm around Akira’s shoulders and kissed his cheek with a grin. “You get your best sleep with me here, don’t'cha.”

Akira blushed, the color heating up his face making Ryuji’s grin widen in amusement. “Honestly, I do. The mornings are much easier too, with you here.”

Ryuji’s expression softened slightly as he gave Akira’s shoulder a light squeeze. “Good, I’m glad.”

Ryuji reluctantly moved his arm off of Akira and stood up, feeling Akira’s gaze on him as he stretched and trying not to grin in response.

He was pretty sure he’d never get over just how incredible it felt for someone like _Akira_ \--smart, beautiful, witty, strong, kind, charming, overall amazing _Akira_ \--to be completely enraptured by someone like _him_.

One glance over his shoulder confirmed that yes, Akira was staring at him with that look on his face that Ryuji was starting to catch more and more, as if _Ryuji_ was the incredible one and _Akira_ was the unworthy, lucky one; a look that screamed pure adoration, like Akira would grab the moon and the stars straight out of the sky if Ryuji so much as opened his mouth to ask for them….

A look that made it harder and harder to come up with reasons why he couldn’t get his own feelings straight, when it should be so easy.

Pushing his thoughts aside for the moment, Ryuji turned around with a grin and reached out, catching Akira off-guard as he grabbed his hand and pulled him off the bed.

“C’mon, don’t go spacing out just yet,” Ryuji teased, catching Akira against his chest as he stumbled forward.

It was so easy to make Akira flustered when he was lost in thought, and if Ryuji didn’t know that Akira enjoyed it, he would have felt guilty--but there was no denying the joy that was just barely hidden beneath his embarrassed expression and bright-red face as he buried his face in the crook of Ryuji’s neck.

“Y’know, I never thought a guy could be cute before you came along,” Ryuji remarked with an amused yet affectionate smile, laughing as Akira huffed and lightly hit his chest. “C’mon, am I really _not_ supposed to think you’re cute when you’re like this?” He grinned teasingly as he ran his fingers down the back of Akira’s flushed neck, feeling him shiver as he tightened his grip on Ryuji’s shirt. “See? Cute.”

“Not as cute as you are,” Akira muttered obstinately, prompting a snort of amusement from Ryuji.

“Dude, like I said before, you have a _very_ biased opinion of me.”

Akira cracked a smile. “I don’t know about that--I think anyone would agree that you’re cute if they saw how eager you always are to help me.”

Now it was Ryuji’s turn to blush heavily as he huffed. “Wanting to help you ain’t _cute!_ ”

“It’s not you _wanting_ to help that’s cute, it’s just how _eager_ you are. It’s sweet.”

Ryuji recalled Ann teasing him when he’d practically jumped out of his seat to help Akira carry the coffee mugs over to their table yesterday, likening him to an eager puppy (which had made Morgana snicker, damn cat), and he ducked his head slightly in embarrassment as he groaned. “... ‘s not cute, dammit….”

Akira chuckled, reaching up and running a hand through Ryuji’s hair. “If you don’t think there’s anything wrong with calling me cute, then there’s nothing wrong with me calling you cute too.”

“Fine, fine,” Ryuji gave in with another huff. “You've always gotta do that, don’t you--turnin’ the tables on me like that.”

Akira smirked, shifting his hold on Ryuji to wrap his arms around him as he suddenly dipped him into a kiss, completely catching Ryuji off-guard and prompting a startled, muffled squeak as he reflexively reached up to hold onto Akira.

“Can you blame me?” Akira breathed out after breaking the kiss, his smirk widening and his eyes gleaming with amusement. “I can’t let you have _all_ the fun.”

Ryuji couldn’t help but laugh at that. “You little shit--just you wait for tomorrow, I’m gonna make sure you have no way of getting the upper hand.”

“I’m looking forward to it already.”

Akira smiled as he pulled Ryuji back up, pressing a kiss to his cheek before going and grabbing pajamas for them both while Ryuji pulled out his phone to let his mother know that he wasn’t coming home that night (again).

With their exhaustion quickly catching up to them, Akira and Ryuji wasted no time in getting changed and plopping themselves down on the bed, laughing as they rearranged their tangled limbs into more comfortable positions before finally settling down and drifting off into a well-earned and much-needed rest.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so first off, you may have noticed that I've rushed the updates these past few days--that's because I wanted to post this monster of a chapter (about 7.6k words jfc) today, in honor of Canti's birthday!
> 
> Canti, you were the first Pegoryu writer that I subscribed to because every fic that you posted was incredible and I didn't want to miss a single one lol. When I posted my first non-Pegoryu week fic, I wasn't expecting it to get much attention, so when I saw that _you_ commented on _my_ fic, I had to actually do a double-take and click to make sure that yes, this is indeed the same Canti that I'm subscribed to whose fics that I love; and then to see you screaming even more over my fic on Discord was like asdlkjf I was grinning for _hours_ afterwards. Honestly, it was you saying that you wanted them to have a happy ending that gave me the push to start this fic, and I'm so incredibly grateful for all the support that you and the rest of the Pegoryu discord have given me!
> 
> Tl;dr You're the best and I hope you have a wonderful birthday, and I really hope you like this chapter (that you basically gave me all the ideas for lmao)!

It wasn’t too much of a surprise that their stay-at-home date was a success, if only because it was essentially the same as the few other times that they’d been able to have a lazy day together: they slept in; took their time getting out of bed; got dressed enough to go out to the bathhouse (unfortunately using the shower at LeBlanc was off-limits when the cafe was open); relaxed at the bathhouse for longer than necessary (Ryuji drew the line when Akira started dozing off and nearly slid down under the water); helped themselves to some leftover curry once there were no more customers in the cafe; and returned back to Akira’s room to lay on his bed and relax some more.

Akira’s head rested against Ryuji’s chest as Ryuji distractedly read one of the manga volumes he had in his bag, holding the book with one hand while petting Akira’s head with his other hand, and he couldn’t help but smile in amusement as Akira made a displeased noise every time Ryuji’s hand moved off of his head to turn the page.

“You’re more like a cat than Mona, I swear,” Ryuji muttered in fond amusement, lightly trailing his nails along Akira’s scalp and grinning as his boyfriend (his _boyfriend_ , holy _shit_ ) let out a hum of approval as he leaned into Ryuji’s hand.

“... Mm… can’t help it,” Akira murmured against Ryuji’s chest. “You’re the only one that makes me feel like this.”

Ryuji grinned in amusement despite the light blush on his face. “What, you're saying I'm like Akira-catnip or something?”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Akira replied with a laugh.

God, Ryuji could never get enough of Akira’s laugh--it wasn’t the polite, quiet chuckles that he occasionally let slip in public, or the silent laughter that left his shoulders shaking as the corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement; it was just pure, open laughter, soft and sweet and meant for Ryuji’s ears and Ryuji’s ears alone, a sign that his walls were down and his masks were off.

Ryuji set aside his manga in favor of something much more entertaining: letting both of his hands move down to Akira’s sides so he could listen to more of that beautiful, unguarded sound as Akira squirmed under him, the corners of his eyes tearing up in mirth and the corners of his mouth pulled up in a smile even as he weakly tried to push Ryuji’s hands off of him between peals of laughter.

He decided to show mercy after a little bit longer and move his hands, giving Akira a moment to catch his breath before leaning down to kiss him--languidly at first, before beginning to pepper Akira’s face in light kisses that prompted more soft, breathless laughter from him, which then prompted Ryuji’s own laughter as the two of them dissolved into a giggling mess on the bed.

Akira knew--looking at the pure joy in Ryuji’s expression, the affection in his gaze and in his touches… he knew even without Ryuji having figured out his own feelings just what he meant to him, and the thought alone made him so happy that he felt close to tears.

Actions always meant more with Ryuji than words anyway. Even without hearing those three words, as long as Akira could feel the love behind every glance and every touch and every smile, he could never ask for anything more.

“You’re thinking about something,” Ryuji murmured, poking Akira in between his eyebrows before smoothing his finger along the light creases, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as Akira’s expression immediately relaxed under his touch.

“Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you in my life.”

Ryuji blushed and rolled his eyes in fond amusement. “Keep inflating my ego and my head might not fit in the room anymore.”

Akira chuckled, leaning forward to press a light kiss to Ryuji’s lips before replying, “Well _someone_ has to keep reminding you what an incredible person you are.”

Ryuji’s blush darkened as he grinned. “No way man, you’re the incredible one.”

“I think you mispronounced ‘Ryuji Sakamoto is the most incredible person on the face of this planet.’”

Ryuji snorted. “You dork,” he replied, knowing it would be useless to argue--Akira could be ridiculously stubborn about the weirdest of things. Instead, he pulled his boyfriend into another kiss that Akira was more than happy to reciprocate as he pressed himself closer to Ryuji.

Akira rested his forehead against Ryuji’s as they broke the kiss, his gaze soft and a smile on his face as he said, “I love you so much….”

Ryuji opened his mouth to try and come up with some kind of reply, but was met with Akira’s lips covering his own--which was fine; it meant that Akira didn’t need to hear those words in order to feel just as happy as Ryuji felt.

He would put his feelings into words one day. For now, everything was fine just as it was.

* * *

Ryuji wasn’t sure when exactly he’d dozed off, but of all the things to wake up to, he sure as hell hadn’t expected the startled yelp of another person.

Blearily opening his eyes, he immediately stiffened as he saw Futaba standing in Akira’s room, who in turn flinched and took a step back, apparently not having expected either of them to wake up so quickly.

“Wh-- what are you doing in Akira’s room??” Ryuji hissed, trying his best to keep his voice down despite all the blood in his body gathering in his face--and of course, Akira was still clinging to him in his sleep, making it impossible to play this off as anything but what it actually was.

Not that Ryuji was _embarrassed_ about cuddling with his boyfriend--he was just embarrassed about being caught off-guard cuddling with his boyfriend, especially by someone that he’d essentially only just met a day ago.

Futaba lifted her phone to cover her flushed face, her gaze flickering from side to side nervously.

“I… I thought Akira would be alone, and-- he wasn’t answering his phone, so… I-I’m sorry, I didn’t realize--”

Akira began to stir from his sleep, causing both Futaba and Ryuji to fall quiet as they looked down at him. He cracked one eye open, looking at Ryuji first before glancing at Futaba, who flinched nervously--and then closed his eye and went back to burying his face against Ryuji’s chest, obviously unperturbed by the unexpected visitor.

“Well, I guess that means it’s fine,” Ryuji said with a quiet laugh--though he would have liked to spend the rest of the evening alone with Akira, he wasn’t about to chase Futaba out, especially when he knew how hard Akira had been working to help her and how much she struggled with interacting with people. “So, what’s up? Did you need Akira for something?”

“I-I… Sojiro isn’t home, and Mona left to go walking around, so I thought….”

“You wanted to spend some time with Akira?”

Futaba blushed and waved her hands, nearly dropping her phone in the process. “I can come back another time, when you two aren’t… b-busy--”

Now it was Ryuji’s turn to blush as he belatedly realized what she was thinking. “It’s not-- we weren’t-- we were just taking a nap!!”

Futaba blinked. “... Oh. Really?”

“Yes really!”

Futaba put a hand over her chest as she let out a relieved sigh. “Oh good… I don’t think I’m at a high enough level yet to handle seeing that kind of cutscene.”

There was way too much to unpack in that one sentence, especially when Ryuji had only just woken up, and so he decided to forgo thinking about it altogether in favor of asking, “Wanna play some video games?” With a wry smile and a glance down at Akira’s peacefully-sleeping face, he added, “It’s gonna be a while until Akira wakes up.”

Immediately, any nervousness in Futaba’s gaze cleared up as she grinned. “I’m just warning you now, I’m a master at all video games.”

“Heh. I’m not too bad myself,” Ryuji replied with a grin, sitting up and pulling Akira’s sleeping form with him.

Futaba looked at Akira in amusement. “He’s like a koala.”

Ryuji grinned and chuckled. “A very clingy koala, yes.”

As if to prove his point, Ryuji stood up out of bed, only holding Akira’s legs for support while Akira’s arms stayed firmly wrapped around him in his sleep.

Futaba grinned and snapped a picture on her phone, snickering to herself. “The leader of the Phantom Thieves, being carried around like a sleeping toddler… this is great.”

“Hey, no sending that picture to anyone, got it?” Ryuji said, pausing for a moment as a light blush began heating up his face before sheepishly adding, “... Except me, could you send me that picture?”

Futaba grinned. “Already on it.”

True to her word, Ryuji’s phone _ping_ ’d hardly a second later, and Ryuji was about to thank her when a thought occurred to him.

“Wait, how did you get my--” Upon seeing the glint in her eyes, Ryuji sighed and shook his head. “Y’know what, I think I’m better off not knowing.”

“Video games,” Futaba said as she turned on the TV and put a game into the ancient gaming system (that Akira had somehow come across just a week ago--where he found this stuff, Ryuji would never know) before turning it on as well. She grabbed one of the controllers and pulled Akira’s chair close to the TV before plopping herself down onto it, pulling her legs up to her chest as she made herself comfortable. “Now.”

“Alright, alright,” Ryuji responded in amusement--seeing her like this, it was fairly safe to say that his original assumption about Akira seeing her as a younger sister was right. Though he had no siblings of his own to compare to, she definitely gave off the vibes of what he would assume a little sister was like.

Carrying Akira with him, Ryuji went and sat on the couch, letting Akira sit on his lap as he stayed curled up against his chest while Ryuji reached around him to pick up the other controller.

Surprisingly, he barely felt embarrassed now that the initial shock of someone seeing them together had passed--probably because he was so used to having Akira glued to his side whenever they were alone, it felt normal sitting like this, with Akira peacefully asleep in his lap while he joked and laughed and got his ass kicked in old-school video games with Futaba.

Maybe being affectionate with Akira while other people were around wouldn’t be as hard as he thought it would be.

Akira stirred after their fourth round of Star Forneus, and Ryuji immediately turned his attention over to his boyfriend, his expression softening as Akira blinked up at him blearily.

“Mornin', sleeping beauty,” he teased quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of Akira’s head and smiling as Akira let out a soft, content sigh in response. “How’re you feeling?”

“Relaxed,” Akira murmured, nuzzling closer to Ryuji and smiling as Ryuji let out a soft laugh in response.

“Still tired?”

“Mmhm, a bit… haven’t slept well these past few weeks,” Akira confessed. “I sleep best with you here.”

Ryuji pressed another kiss to the top of Akira’s head. “Then go back to sleep. I’m not going nowhere.”

Akira smiled and closed his eyes again, his body relaxing and his breathing evening out as he drifted back off to sleep.

It was only when Ryuji looked up from Akira that he remembered they weren’t alone.

Ryuji blushed heavily as he saw Futaba staring at them with a flushed face. “Wh-- what?” he asked, trying to sound more tough than defensive (and failing miserably).

“A-ah, I just… I never thought I’d get to see a real life love-event….”

Ryuji’s blush somehow managed to darken even more at that. “ _Love-event?_ ”

Futaba nodded, her eyes wide as she leaned forward in her seat slightly. “How many heart points do you have with Akira?”

In the back of his mind, it clicked that she was using video game terms to cope with and comprehend real life situations--which was probably something that they’d have to address in the future, but for now he was just thankful that he played enough video games to get what she was saying, embarrassing as it was.

“Uh, I guess it depends. What’s the max?”

“Hmm… out of ten?”

Ryuji glanced down at Akira, his face flushed. “... Uh… eight, I guess…?”

Futaba perked up, her eyes shining in excitement. “That means the confession scene is coming up soon, right?”

_Confession… yeah, I guess by this point it’s a little ridiculous for me to_ **_not_ ** _acknowledge my feelings, right?_ Ryuji faltered. _But… shit, what if I’m jumping into this and end up getting his hopes up only to figure out I just like helping him and I’m not actually in love with him?_

(Ryuji knew in the back of his mind that he was being completely ridiculous, almost to the point of being stubborn--but in an ironic way, it showed just how much he really cared about Akira that he was scared of rushing to put his feelings into words and somehow messing things up for them both.)

“...  Hopefully,” was the only response he managed to come up with, but that seemed to be enough to satisfy Futaba, who leaned back in her seat and picked her controller back up.

“Another round?” she asked, already moving to start the game back up without waiting for his response.

Ryuji picked his controller back up as well--no better way to avoid his thoughts than by mindlessly drowning in video games.

(Even if Futaba kept kicking his ass at them.)

* * *

When Ryuji agreed to leave their first real date plans to Akira, he should have realized that he was essentially giving free rein to the most over-the-top person in existence.

However, either unfortunately or fortunately (Ryuji still couldn’t decide which), he didn’t realize--nor did he have any idea what Akira was planning and arranging over the next week, not until Akira called him up one evening.

“ _Ryuji, are you doing anything tomorrow?_ ”

Ryuji balanced his phone in between his neck and his ear, his hands busy cleaning up the dishes in the sink for his mother. “Hm? Nah, not really. Why?”

“ _And what about the day after that? Do you have to get up early for anything?_ ”

“Uh, no…?” Ryuji’s brows furrowed. “Dude, what’s this about? Is everything alright?”

Akira’s soft laughter was enough to ease his worries, though it did nothing to satisfy his confusion. “ _Everything’s fine, but thank you for worrying. I was just thinking that we should go out on our first official date tomorrow, if that’s fine with you._ ”

Ryuji blushed, having almost forgotten about that entirely. “O-oh, yeah, that’s fine! Uh, so where are we going?”

Ryuji could practically _hear_ Akira’s smirk through the phone as he replied, “ _You’ll see for yourself tomorrow. Just dress comfortably; I’ll come by to pick you up around eight._ ”

“Eight in the _morning?_  And here I thought you didn’t function before noon,” Ryuji teased.

“ _The things I do for you,_ ” Akira replied with an exaggerated sigh, prompting a snort of laughter from Ryuji. “ _But seriously, I have a full day planned and we need to head out early. I figured eight would be… a reasonable enough hour._ ”

“Y’know, you don’t gotta force yourself for me.”

“ _I’m not forcing myself, I promise--I’m actually really looking forward to it,_ ” Akira confessed, which was enough to bring a grin to Ryuji’s face--hearing that Akira was excited for _anything_ was always enough to make Ryuji smile.

After everything Akira had been through, it was a miracle that there was anything left for him to get excited about at all.

“I’m looking forward to it too,” Ryuji replied. “Make sure you go to bed early so you don’t have trouble waking up tomorrow, okay?”

“ _You’re starting to sound like Morgana,_ ” Akira replied dryly. “ _But fine, I was planning on calling it a night anyway--the sooner I go to sleep, the sooner I can wake up to see you._ ”

Ryuji blushed lightly and rolled his eyes. “I dunno how you say that sappy stuff with a straight face.”

“ _Only for you~_ ”

Ryuji laughed. “Just go to bed already, you dork. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“ _Goodnight, see you tomorrow._ ”

It was a few minutes after hanging up that he realized he hadn’t ever given Akira his address (before he remembered that, duh, of course Akira already knew where he lived, the guy knew pretty much everything about everyone by this point), and when he mentioned to his mother that he was going to be out all day tomorrow with Akira she didn’t seem all that surprised--but even then, he didn’t think much of it, figuring (with some embarrassment) that he’d been spending so much time with Akira that she was used to it by now.

Akira showed up the next morning, 8 a.m. on the dot as promised--and though he was yawning and a bit hazy-eyed, he was at least awake enough to hold a coherent conversation with Ryuji’s mother as she invited him in for a cup of coffee.

Unfortunately, he also was awake enough to still be a stubborn secretive ass about their plans for the day, and honestly someone who’s half-asleep should _not_ look that attractive while smirking, damn it.

“Could you at least tell me what stop we’ve gotta get off at so we don’t miss it? ‘Cuz I know you’re not gonna stay awake for the whole train ride,” Ryuji commented wryly as they made their way towards the train station.

“We’re riding the train for four stops and then transferring.”

“Ugh, you’re determined not to tell me anything, aren’t you.”

The grin that Akira shot him was answer enough, and Ryuji let out a resigned sigh, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Fine, fine, I’ll be patient and wait.”

* * *

“ _Holy shit._ ”

Akira grinned, now much more awake as he looked at Ryuji, who was looking at their first stop for the day in a mixture of bewilderment, awe, and excitement.

“ _Dude_ , did you seriously make reservations for us to go fuckin’ _skydiving?_ ”

“You wanted an exciting first date, right? Doesn’t get more exciting and memorable than this.”

“This is _crazy_ , how’d you--” Ryuji was silenced by a finger lightly pressing against his lips, a light blush heating up his face as he caught one or two people looking over at them.

* * *

_“Y’know what's something I always wanted to try?”_

_Akira hummed inquisitively as he pulled his attention away from his book, only to be met with the sight of his boyfriend's grin as he pointed the screen of his phone towards Akira, showing him the video that he was watching._

_“Skydiving. Doesn't that sound awesome?”_

_Akira's expression faltered nervously. “Don't you think that's a bit… dangerous?”_

_Ryuji snorted in amusement as he set his phone aside. “Seriously dude? All those crazy dangerous stunts you pull in the Metaverse, and_ **_skydiving’s_ ** _where you draw the line?”_

_“That's_ **_different_** _,” Akira protested weakly, an embarrassed flush heating up his face. “Everything I do in the Metaverse is within my control; jumping out of a plane and hoping that the parachute opens is about as far from being in control as you can get.”_

_Before Ryuji could open his mouth to reply, Akira added quietly, “But I suppose… I wouldn't mind giving it a try if you're there with me.”_

_The kiss that he received in response was well worth any potential danger from such a reckless activity._

(They had planned to go during their first week of vacation after Akira went back home. Akira regretted not going with him right away.)

* * *

“I have my ways,” Akira responded with a smirk, before pulling his hand away and gesturing for Ryuji to follow him. “I already filled out all the necessary paperwork for us both, so we just have to take the plane up.”

“Wait, don’t we need, like… our parents’ permission or something for this?”

Akira laughed quietly. “Already taken care of--I spoke with your mother and got her to sign the waiver, and I submitted it with the other paperwork.”

Ryuji opened and closed his mouth, not even sure where to start, before finally just letting out a laugh and shaking his head.

“You’re amazing.”

Akira grinned, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to his cheek before pulling back and taking Ryuji’s hand in his own.

“And so are you. Now come on, let’s go.”

* * *

The view on the flight up had been incredible.

No, Akira wasn't talking about seeing Mt. Fuji or the entire landscape of Tokyo, though he supposed those were nice views too.

Ryuji's bright-eyed expression, staring out of the plane as they rose higher and higher; the excitement practically radiating off of him in waves as he was strapped in with a professional (Akira would have loved to go with him, but he wanted to take absolutely no chances with Ryuji's safety); Ryuji’s voice carrying up to the other passengers as he jumped (“ _THIS IS FRICKIN’ AWESOMEEEEEE!!!!!_ ”), inadvertently easing all their fears and making them laugh along with Akira himself....

God, Akira loved Ryuji so much.

It was only with the self-control that came from decades of holding himself back that Akira was able to resist kissing Ryuji's flushed, beaming face once they both safely landed, instead settling for taking his hand and giving it a light squeeze that Ryuji returned, before catching Akira off-guard as he laced their fingers together with no intention of letting go despite being in public.

Akira was pretty sure his heart was going to explode at this rate, and it was only the beginning of their day together.

“Holy shit man, that was _amazing_ \--” Ryuji continued gushing as they walked back to the train station, still hand in hand. “And there's seriously still _more_ that you've got planned??”

Akira smiled. “Don't get too excited--I figured I'd get the most thrilling thing in first, to start the day off with a bang and wake us up a bit.”

“You mean wake _you_ up a bit,” Ryuji teased with a friendly nudge of his elbow.

Akira chuckled. “In any case, the next stop is a bit farther away, so we can have lunch before we get there.”

“Sounds good to me, I'm starved!”

* * *

After getting off the train and inhaling a quick yet filling meal (Akira was going to be making a big enough deal over dinner that he didn't mind just doing something casual for lunch), Akira led Ryuji to their next destination.

“Another plane?” Ryuji joked weakly as he looked at the small plane in front of them, though inwardly he was trying not to freak out because _how the hell did Akira have the money for all of this??_

“I figured it would be faster than going by boat,” Akira responded, before adding weakly, “That, and I'm not exactly all that partial to ships anymore for… certain reasons.”

Without saying anything else on the matter (though Ryuji didn't really need to hear anything else to know that it had something to do with what was going to happen in their future, which _really_ made him curious--but it wasn't worth ruining their day over), Akira led Ryuji onto the small private jet (holy shit they were flying on a _private jet what the hell_ ) and over to their seats.

“We have a few hours to kill on the flight, so I made a few arrangements,” Akira said, gesturing to the large TV, video games, stack of movies, and mini-fridge filled with all of Ryuji's favorite snacks and drinks.

“Dude… seriously, how the _hell_ did you do all this…?” Ryuji questioned, plopping himself down in one of the two (ridiculously comfortable) chairs and strapping himself in.

Akira chuckled, sitting down in the free seat and strapping himself in as well. “Let's just say I've been saving money for a _very_ long time.” He shrugged as he added, “There’s only so much you can spend it on before you run out of things to buy.”

Ryuji's eyes widened in shock. “For real? How is that even possible??”

Akira laughed. “I don't know, but it's times like this that I don't feel like questioning it--after all, it means I can spoil you as much as I want.”

Ryuji blushed heavily, glancing at Akira before looking around--and once he was sure no one could see them (which, duh, it was a _private_ jet for a reason, of course no one could see them), he quickly unbuckled himself and stood up so he could lean over towards Akira and press a kiss to his lips.

“You're crazy,” he muttered, his grin a cross between affectionate and bemused, before sitting himself back down as the plane began to move.

“Crazy for you,” Akira responded once his brain decided to function again, his face flushed.

He was met with a bag of chips being lightly tossed at his face in retaliation, but it was worth it to hear Ryuji's laughter and see his sweet, flustered, beautiful smile.

* * *

Akira grinned as they stepped off the plane, watching Ryuji's shocked awe as they approached their next destination.

“Swimming with dolphins?”

Akira shrugged. “I considered the beach at first, since it’s summer, but then I figured why stop there?”

Ryuji rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he replied, “Of course, ‘cuz you’ve always gotta be that extra.”

* * *

_“Hey, uh… can you keep a secret?”_

_“Hm?”_

_Akira turned his attention away from the dolphin show as Ryuji whispered to him, his voice nearly drowned out by Ann and Futaba’s awed exclamations._

_“Of course,” he responded after a moment, silently encouraging his best friend (and that’s all he was now, as hard as it was for Akira to force himself to remember)._

_“I, uh… wasn’t as against coming here as I pretended I was.”_

_Akira just barely managed to not laugh for the sake of his friend’s pride, but he couldn’t stop his expression from softening as he replied, “I never would have guessed.”_

_Ryuji huffed and lightly elbowed him, his expression embarrassed. “C’mon man, don’t tease me.”_

_“No, really, I never thought you’d like watching a dolphin show; it doesn’t exactly fit your image.”_

_Ryuji glanced away in embarrassment. “... My ma took me once, when I was younger. Always kinda wondered what it’d be like to go swimming with ‘em--don’t laugh, alright? I know that prolly sounds dumb--”_

_Akira smiled, just barely resisting the reflexive urge to reach out and give Ryuji’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Not at all. I’ve always wanted to try swimming with dolphins too, it sounds like fun.”_

(Honestly, it had never even been a thought that crossed his mind--but it had been worth it for the relieved grin that he’d received in response.)

* * *

Akira shrugged again as he gave his boyfriend a soft smile. “Only the best for you, my darling.”

Ryuji blushed and laughed as he lightly bumped his shoulder against Akira’s. “Seriously, I don’t know how you say that kind’a shit with a straight face.”

“It's easy when it’s the truth,” Akira replied simply, taking Ryuji’s hand as he led them off to get their gear and swimming trunks.

* * *

Honestly, swimming with dolphins had been more fun than Akira imagined--though it was hard not to enjoy himself when Ryuji was grinning from ear to ear.

By the time they made it back onto the jet and into their seats, Ryuji was passed out from exhaustion with a smile still on his face, and Akira was more than happy to let him sleep for the entire ride back as he kept himself entertained by quietly reading a book until he found himself dozing off as well.

Once the jet landed, lightly jostling them both out of their sleep, they disembarked and began making their way towards the nearest train station.

“So, what’s the next stop?”

Akira smiled as he took Ryuji’s hand while they walked. “I’m pretty sure you aren’t going to find this next one all that fun, but would you mind indulging me a little?”

Ryuji blinked in confusion before shrugging. “Sure, I don’t mind, but what exactly are we doing?”

Akira raised a finger to his lips and gave Ryuji a wink. “You’ll see.”

* * *

“Y’know, when you said to indulge you, I didn’t think this is what you meant.”

Akira grinned as he watched Ryuji trying not to fidget as the tailor took his measurements before whisking him away to try on different suits.

While Akira could have chosen a suit for him beforehand (it wouldn't be too hard to guess Ryuji’s size compared to his own body, and it was easy to picture what would look best on him), it was so much more fun to watch the fashion show that Ryuji was putting on for him, trying on all different styles of suits.

(Akira may or may not have taken a ridiculous amount of pictures on his phone for his continued viewing pleasure during said fashion show--but really, with an attractive boyfriend like Ryuji, who could blame him?)

Finally, they settled on a white button-down shirt with a silk black tie, with a gray vest layered under a black vest and held closed with a thin silver chain, a black jacket casually swung over his shoulder and a pair of black dress pants with matching black shoes.

If Akira needed any confirmation for the fact that he was very, extremely, _incredibly_ attracted to his boyfriend, this would definitely be it.

“The jacket’s a bit much, I mean it _is_ summer… is it alright if I just keep it off?”

Akira nodded dumbly. “It… looks good like that. That’s fine.”

Ryuji coughed into his hand, his face red as he glanced away in embarrassment. “So, you just gonna stare at me all night, or are you getting changed too?”

Akira snapped out of his stupor at Ryuji’s words and laughed, moving over to Ryuji and pressing a kiss to his cheek before moving past him to the changing room, where his own fitted suit--which he’d chosen ahead of time--was waiting for him.

When Akira came back out a few minutes later, Ryuji could suddenly understand why Akira couldn’t tear his eyes away from him before.

Of course, it had to be red and black--the combination of colors looked almost criminally good on Akira, both inside the Metaverse and outside apparently: he wore a red button-down shirt with a matching red tie and red gloves ( _of course_ he had to add those god damn unfairly-attractive gloves to his outfit), a black vest with a silk red pocket square, and black dress pants with black shoes to complete the outfit.

Akira smirked as he saw Ryuji staring, and Ryuji was pretty sure that in that moment his face had somehow managed to match his boyfriend’s shirt.

“Like what you see?” Akira teased, sauntering towards Ryuji with all the grace of his Metaverse counterpart and running a gloved hand (the combination of those _god damn_ unfairly-attractive gloves on those _god damn_ unfairly-attractive hands should be _illegal)_ along Ryuji’s flushed cheek.

Ryuji swallowed thickly, his throat feeling way too dry and his body suddenly feeling like it was overheating in his tightly-fitted clothes, and he nervously toyed with his tie as he replied, “You, uh… you look… nice.”

“Just nice?” Akira purred as he leaned closer, teasing a gloved finger over Ryuji’s lips.

“Um… really nice?” Ryuji definitely-didn’t-squeak out. “Really, _really_ nice?”

Akira laughed softly, pressing a light kiss to Ryuji’s lips before straightening up and taking Ryuji’s hand in his own.

“Thank you,” Akira replied, bringing Ryuji’s hand up to his lips as he kissed the back of it. “I’m glad it’s to your liking.”

“I, uh… yeah, you’re welcome--I mean, shit, thank _you_ for all this,” Ryuji stammered. “But why’d we need to get dressed up? And what're we doing about the clothes we came in?”

“To go out for dinner, of course,” Akira responded with a smirk as he led his boyfriend out, slipping the tailor his payment plus a generous tip on his way out before Ryuji could properly get a look at how much money he’d just handed over for their new outfits. “As for our clothes, I've already arranged for them to be sent to our houses for us, so don't worry about that.”

“Dinner? Where the hell are we going for dinner that we’ve gotta get dressed up like this??”

Akira’s expression softened into a smile as he replied, “Somewhere we can have our romantic candlelit dinner, of course.”

After leading Ryuji outside, he opened the door to the car waiting for them outside and gestured with a flourish.

“Your carriage awaits, my prince.”

Ryuji rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t stop his blush from spreading all the way to the tips of his ears. “You really don’t know the meaning of half-assing anything, do you.”

“Never for you,” Akira responded with a grin, getting into the car after Ryuji and closing the door so they could move on to their next destination.

* * *

Honestly, by this point Ryuji shouldn’t have been able to be surprised anymore.

Yet here he was, staring in shock as he followed Akira to their table in a daze.

Their table at one of the most high-class rooftop restaurants in all of Tokyo.

One of the most high-class rooftop restaurants in all of Tokyo that _Akira rented out for the entire night just for them._

“I figured it would be easier to relax if we had the place to ourselves,” Akira said as they sat down at their candlelit table (because of _course_ Akira would have to take the romantic candlelit dinner joke seriously), smiling as he added, “We don’t have to worry about keeping up appearances or trying to keep quiet, like the last time we ate at a more high-end place.”

Ryuji couldn’t help but grin at that. “Yeah, you’ve got a point. It’s much better not having to deal with all those stuck-up adults.”

Akira laughed softly, briefly turning his attention away from Ryuji to thank the waiter as he brought them their drinks (soda, of course) and began setting down plates of food on the table.

“I placed our orders ahead of time, I hope you don’t mind,” Akira said to Ryuji as he took off his gloves and pocketed them, trying not to grin as he watched Ryuji practically drooling over the different meats in front of him.

* * *

_The first time they went into Shido’s palace, Akira couldn’t help but feel guilty as he saw how excited Ryuji seemed to be at the prospect of eating at a fancy restaurant, and how disappointed he was when he found out that he wouldn’t be able to get any food while they were there._

_He didn’t have the money to go on any fancy dates with his boyfriend; all of his funds unfortunately went towards the Phantom Thieves, and the small bit that was left was only just barely enough for ramen for the two of them._

_Akira resolved to save up enough money to take Ryuji out on a proper dinner date after they finally took down Shido._

(It never happened.)

_It wasn’t until a few timelines later that Akira finally got both the money and the courage to bring up the suggestion with his best friend._

_“Instead of ramen… why don’t we go somewhere different for a change?”_

_“Hm? What’d’ja have in mind?”_

_Akira hesitated for a moment, making sure that his expression remained unchanged as he suggested, “How about a restaurant?” Scrambling for some sort of excuse, he quickly added, “We haven’t gotten to celebrate changing Madarame’s heart yet--”_

_“Oh, that sounds fun! Let’s not go to the same buffet place as last time, though,” Ryuji added with a face, before grinning once more. “You wanna call Ann ‘n’ Yusuke, or should I?”_

_Akira fought to keep his expression neutral as he replied, “What about we… go together, just us?”_

_While Ryuji’s laughter normally lifted Akira’s heart, now all Akira could feel was a pain so hard that it made it difficult to breathe._

_“Would be kind’a weird for us to go to some fancy restaurant just the two of us, wouldn’t it? ‘sides, Ann would have our head if we left her out, and Yusuke deserves to celebrate more than any of us.”_

_Akira forced a laugh as well, trying to ignore the way his heart was breaking as he was reminded, yet again, that what he had in the past was never coming back._

_“Yeah, you’re right.”_

* * *

Ryuji dug into his meal with gusto, groaning in pleasure with each bite as if he’d ascended into heaven, and Akira split his focus between eating his own food and enjoying the sight of Ryuji enjoying his meal with the beautiful backdrop of Tokyo’s nighttime landscape behind him.

“Oh.” Akira blinked as he took another look at Ryuji’s face, a slow smirk spreading across his face. “Hey, Ryuji.”

“Hm?” Ryuji paused and put his fork down as he looked up with steak sauce around his mouth.

Akira leaned across the table, swiping some of the sauce off of the corner of Ryuji’s lips with his thumb and licking the sauce off of his finger before leaning back in his seat, licking his lips in satisfaction.

“You have some sauce on your face,” Akira explained calmly, enjoying the way Ryuji’s face combusted as his brain tried to catch up with what just happened.

Akira tried not to laugh as Ryuji hastily grabbed a napkin and wiped off the rest of his face before Akira could do anything else to embarrass him.

Once all the plates had been cleared, Ryuji sat back in his seat with a content sigh and gave Akira a smile. “This was incredible… all of it. If this was our first date, I can’t imagine what the rest of our dates are gonna be like.”

Akira chuckled. “I don’t think I could ever match today’s date, but I could try.”

“Yeah….”

Akira’s smile died down slightly. “... There’s something you’re not saying.”

“Well, it’s not that, I was just thinking....” Ryuji hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’m not trying to be unappreciative--because dude, I can never thank you enough for today, it was _incredible_ \--but… thinking about doing all this kind’a stuff for every single date seems like a bit….”

“Much?” Akira supplied with an amused smile.

Ryuji shrugged and smiled sheepishly. “I just… I had fun, yeah, but like… I guess it just made me realize that in the end, I don’t really need to do a bunch of cool things or anything to have a good time--I’m fine with just doing something simple, as long as I’m with you. All this fancy stuff ain’t really my style anyway.”

Akira stared at Ryuji, his face flushed, before leaning across the table to press a kiss to Ryuji’s lips.

“ _God_ I love you,” Akira murmured, his expression soft and his smile bright as he pulled back. “I figured you might think that, but I wasn’t expecting you to say it in such a sweet way.”

Ryuji blushed heavily. “So… you’re not mad?”

“Of course not,” Akira replied with a soft laugh. “I wanted our first date to be special and memorable, but we don’t have to make _every_ date like this.”

Ryuji let out a relieved sigh and grinned. “Good.”

“Oh, but our date isn’t over just yet--there’s still one last stop to end off the night.”

Ryuji mock-groaned as he leaned back in his seat. “There’s _more?_ Dude, you just don’t know when to quit, do you?”

Akira chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll love it.”

* * *

Akira walked leisurely alongside Ryuji, hand in hand as he led him up to the top of a nearby hill.

“It’s a beautiful view, isn’t it?” Akira murmured as they stood at the top of the hill, lightly leaning against Ryuji as they looked over at the grassy field below and the starry sky above them.

“Yeah…,” Ryuji responded quietly, giving Akira’s hand a light squeeze. “You were right, this is the perfect way to end the day.”

Akira smiled. “I know a way to make it even better.”

“Yeah?” Ryuji glanced over at him. “How?”

Akira’s smile widened into an impish grin as he let go of Ryuji’s hand and started running down the hill, shouting behind him, “By racing to the bottom!”

“Wh-- hey!!” Ryuji burst into laughter as he shook himself out of his surprised stupor and ran after Akira.

Akira quickly tossed his vest and tie off as he ran, and Ryuji followed suit as he tossed aside his own vests, tie, and jacket, leaving only their half-buttoned shirts, pants, and shoes on as they raced to the bottom with matching grins on their faces. Almost as soon as Ryuji caught up, Akira misstepped and tripped, Ryuji’s quick reflexes acting up as he reached out to catch him--except he couldn’t keep his own footing, and they both ended up tumbling down to the bottom of the hill in a dazed heap.

The two of them blinked, looking at each other for a moment before bursting out into laughter as they leaned against one another.

“Dude… I think we totally ruined these suits,” Ryuji said as soon as his laughter died down to quiet chuckles. “No clue where we tossed our vests ‘n’ stuff either.”

“It’s fine,” Akira replied with an amused grin. “I doubt we’ll use them again anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Still, I kinda feel bad that you wasted all that money--"

Akira silenced Ryuji with a kiss before pulling back with a smirk. “Trust me, it wasn't a waste--I got plenty of enjoyment out of seeing it on you.”

Ryuji blushed. “Yeah, well, that makes two of us.”

“Oh? So you like seeing me in a suit?” Akira teased, lightly pressing his lips to one of Ryuji's flushed cheeks. “I'm flattered.”

Ryuji huffed, turning over to pin Akira under him, and his expression shifted to a toothy smirk as Akira stared up at him with a flustered, startled expression. “Ain't it normal to think your boyfriend's hot when he's all dressed up?”

Akira's blush darkened. “I… yeah, that's… that's true, yeah, you are--” He quickly cut himself off in embarrassment, trying to salvage control as he smirked weakly and said, “I mean of course you think I'm--"

He wasn't given the chance to finish as Ryuji cut him off with a kiss that left him boneless and breathless by the time Ryuji pulled back--and Ryuji, of course, looked like the cat that ate the canary in response as he laughed.

“So you think I look hot,” Ryuji teased, and Akira barely had the chance to wonder when Ryuji had stolen control of the situation before he was met with Ryuji's lips against his own once more. “I'm flattered.”

Akira barely had the energy or the willpower to shoot Ryuji an unamused look as he used his words against him, but apparently whatever attempt he made was bad enough that it prompted another round of laughter from Ryuji, who pressed a kiss to Akira's cheek.

“Seriously though… thank you so much for today.” Ryuji's expression softened into a smile as he moved to lie down next to Akira. “This was the second most incredible day of my whole life, honestly.”

“Only second?” Akira cracked an amused smile as he glanced over at Ryuji. “So what was your most incredible day, then?”

“The day I met you.”

All of the amusement faded from Akira's expression as his face filled with color all the way to the tips of his ears, and he rolled over to hide his face against Ryuji's chest.

Ryuji blinked in confusion and worry. “Akira?”

“And you ask me how I can say stuff like that with a straight face,” Akira laughed weakly, his voice hoarse with restrained emotion. “God, I love you so much. Meeting you was the most incredible day of my life too.”

Ryuji's expression softened, his heart skipping a beat as a realization hit him.

_I can say it. It's the perfect opportunity, just_ **_say it_** _\--_

Ryuji opened his mouth to respond, hesitating for just a moment--and in that moment Akira moved, shifting up to press a kiss to Ryuji's lips that wiped all thoughts from his mind as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and pulled him closer.

“It's getting late,” Akira murmured regretfully once he finally pulled back, moving to rest his head against Ryuji's chest for a moment longer before reluctantly sitting up. “We should probably start heading for the train.”

Ryuji sat up as well with a soft sigh, smiling despite his disappointment. “Yeah, I'm beat anyway. I'm definitely gonna pass out as soon as I get home.”

Akira rose to his feet and offered Ryuji a hand, a soft smile on his face. “Let's go home, then.”

Ryuji took a moment to admire Akira--with the moonlight at his back, casting a soft glow over his features as he looked down with an expression filled with love, his hand extended to him as it had been from the very first day….

_I love him._

Saying the words, even just to himself, made a feeling of peace wash over him--this wasn't just him projecting Akira's feelings onto his own, and it wasn't him just enjoying the attention and affection directed towards him: these were feelings from deep within him, feelings that, if Ryuji were to be completely honest with himself, might have been inside him from the very first day without him even realizing it.

Ryuji grinned as he reached out and took Akira's hand, not letting go even after he was back on his feet.

“Yeah, let's go home.”

He might have missed his chance tonight, but there was no rush--Akira wasn't going anywhere, after all. He would find the perfect moment to lay his feelings bare for Akira just as Akira had for him.

For now, he was content to walk hand in hand with Akira as they began their trip back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji's outfit: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/423080916538097675/480472525642399764/71mMypX-EfL._UX342_.jpg  
> Akira's outfit: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/423080916538097675/480472238764589067/RAF-1288-RED_11.jpg
> 
> Both of which are once again thanks to Canti lmao she might as well have ghostwritten this chapter with all the ideas she gave me (also in case anyone was wondering yes the red gloves in Akira's outfit were an homage to Canti's fic I couldn't resist okay--)
> 
> Also apparently there are places in Tokyo you can to go to for skydiving, and you can go swimming with dolphins in Ogasawara from what I've seen online (though you usually get there by boat and not by private jet lol); as for the restaurant, I just assumed there would be at least one rooftop restaurant in Tokyo lmao. If there's anything that doesn't make sense or isn't feasible about this date, just pretend Akira threw his NG+ money at the problem until it went away lol


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this chapter is unfortunately pretty lackluster compared to the last chapter, but it's a necessary transition chapter so sorry if it's a bit boring;; The next chapter will be better I swear--  
> (Also I have no idea how to write Haru so I apologize in advance;;)

Akira allowed himself the rest of the week to relax, but as soon as the first day of August came around, he knew that he had to get back to business.

Starting with figuring out how to get in contact with Haru Okumura.

If they weren’t still on summer vacation, it would be simple: he knew that she used the roof for gardening, so all he would need to do would be to go after classes were done, and there would be a good chance of finding her tending to her miniature garden. Now, however….

Akira let out a sigh as he rolled over on his bed, ignoring Morgana’s annoyed grumbling as he took out his phone.

It wasn’t like he didn’t know where she lived--he had dated her in one of the many previous timelines, much to her father’s and fiance’s disapproval (not that he cared), so he’d visited her enough times to remember the location. He also had her phone number memorized (as he did for all of his friends), so he _technically_ could just send her an anonymous message, but….

Well, he’d like to start off on the right foot with her if possible. Coming off as a potential stalker probably wouldn’t help with that.

His next best option, then, would be going through either Makoto or Futaba: but then the question was, how would he possibly explain how he knew who Haru was, and why he was interested in getting in contact with her? Futaba would probably ask less questions than Makoto, but Makoto actually knew Haru, so it would be a more casual way of getting to speak with Haru if he chose to ask her for help….

Decisions, decisions.

Figuring that nothing would get done by just laying around, he sat up and moved off of the bed, shooting Morgana an apologetic smile as the cat glared at him for being jostled yet again, the attic’s unbearable heat making him even more irritated than normal.

“Sorry, Morgana. I think I’m going to go out for a bit. Do you want to come?”

“Ugh… and have to stay hidden in your bag? I’m dying as it is,” Morgana responded, groaning as he stretched out on the bed. “If you’re going out, maybe buy a fan or an air conditioner so we don’t melt.”

Akira chuckled. “I’ll consider it.”

(And honestly, with the heat being as unbearable as it was, he genuinely _was_ considering it--it wasn’t like he didn’t have the money; the only problem would be that it would look a bit suspicious for him to suddenly start filling the attic with high-end appliances and other items.)

(It sucked being stuck as a teenager on probation.)

With a wave, Akira made his way down the stairs, nodding to Sojiro in passing as he left the cafe and began walking towards the train station.

He didn’t have a specific destination in mind, but if he’d learned anything at all from the constant resets, it was that sometimes he had to just wing it and let fate guide his hand, and everything would fall into place one way or another.

(Or at least, that’s what he hoped--but really, when was anything ever that convenient for him?)

* * *

_Well, this is… awfully convenient._

Akira kept a neutral expression on his face as he spotted a familiar head of light brown hair in the crowd in Shibuya, glancing around with an uncertain expression on her face.

Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Akira moved through the crowd until he reached Haru’s side, giving her a polite smile when she noticed him.

“Is everything alright? You look a bit lost.”

“O-oh, no, I was just waiting for someone,” Haru responded warily, before frowning slightly as she took a better look at Akira. “But do I… know you from somewhere? You seem familiar….”

“I just transferred to Shujin a few months ago, maybe that's where you've seen me? If you go to that school, I mean,” Akira responded. "Otherwise, I'm not too sure; I would think I'd recognize such a cute face if I'd met you once before."

Akira had to try his hardest not to let his smile widen as he saw her expression shift from flustered surprise to recognition.

“Oh! Oh my, so you’re the rumored transfer student?”

“The one and only,” Akira replied with a soft laugh. “It’s surprising, getting to run into someone from the same school as me in a place as big as this--it almost feels like fate, wouldn’t you say?”

Haru blushed lightly, a hand moving up to cover her mouth. “Fate… that sounds like quite a romantic way of putting it.”

“Isn’t it, though?” Akira’s expression softened slightly as he added, “But getting back on topic… who exactly are you waiting for in this weather? You don’t look too happy to be here, if you don’t mind my saying.”

“Ah….” Haru glanced away, a weak smile on her face as she replied, “I’m… waiting for my fiance. He was supposed to be here by now….”

“Your fiance?” Akira played dumb for the moment, feigning a surprised expression. “Not to be rude, but isn’t high school a bit young to be getting engaged?”

Haru rubbed her arm, a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes still on her face as she replied, “I know I’m going to spend the rest of my life with him, so why wait?”

(Akira hated Haru’s father for forcing her to try and convince herself to believe such horrible thoughts.)

“I see…,” Akira did his best to keep a smile on his face as he changed the subject. “In any case, how long have you been waiting? Have you tried contacting him?”

“Ah, yes, but he hasn’t returned my calls or answered my texts…,” Haru replied as she glanced down at her phone.

Akira didn’t miss how she avoided answering his first question, but he didn’t press the issue, already getting an idea of what was going on.

The disgusting scumbag that was Haru’s fiance used to do this in a few different timelines, toying with Haru and leaving her standing alone for hours just to make sure that she wouldn’t wander off on her own, all for his own sick satisfaction.

Akira knew from experience that changing his heart wouldn’t amount to much, though--Haru’s father would just find another equally repulsive person with strong political ties to replace him without batting an eye if he backed out of the engagement.

They had to stop this problem at the source, and the source was Kunikazu Okumura.

“There’s a diner not too far from here--why don’t we go get out of this heat while you wait for him?” Akira suggested with a smile, before adding upon sensing Haru’s hesitance, “You have your phone, so if he arrives he can always call you or text you, and you can head back over to meet up with him. I’m sure he wouldn’t want his fiance getting sunburned or passing out from the heat while standing around waiting for him.”

“I… I suppose I _could_ use a break from the heat-- oh, but you don’t have to accompany me, I’ve already used up more than enough of your time!”

“I didn’t have anything planned for the day anyway, so it’s fine,” Akira replied, his hands in his pockets as he shrugged and smiled. “Besides, it would put my mind at ease; I’d feel bad just leaving you and not knowing if you met up with your fiance or not.”

Haru smiled gratefully. “It’s odd… for all that the rumors say about you, you’re a very kind person… oh!” She blushed slightly as she moved a hand up to cover her mouth in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, we’ve been talking this whole time without even properly introducing ourselves!”

Akira chuckled and waved off her apology. “I’m already used to people just recognizing me as ‘the transfer student’, so that’s my fault for not thinking to actually introduce myself. My name’s Akira Kurusu.”

“My name is Haru Okumura,” Haru responded with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Akira-kun.”

Akira smiled politely as he replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Okumura-san.”

Haru shook her head slightly. “Oh, there’s no need for such formalities--please, just call me Haru.”

Akira’s smile widened into a more genuine expression as he looked at the final member of his found family, the final (future) member of the Phantom Thieves.

“Alright, if you’re sure. In that case, it’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Haru.”

* * *

After finally meeting and speaking with Haru, everything else started to fall into place, bit by bit.

Futaba was more than happy to help Akira when he asked her to look into the name “Okumura,” claiming concern that his “new friend” was in some kind of abusive situation (which wasn’t exactly a lie), and he had to fight the urge to grin victoriously as Futaba presented their entire group with information on all the scandals behind the Okumura Foods company that Haru’s father owned and ran.

After confirming that Kunikazu Okumura did in fact have a palace, the group traveled over to the headquarters of Okumura Foods and huddled together as they tried to think of what the keyword could be, Akira listening and subtly guiding them with hints or suggestions that were close to being on the mark without giving anything away.

It was when they finally got a hit on the keyword that Makoto held them up from hitting the button and entering the palace.

“Wait--before we go in, there are two things I would like to address.”

Once Makoto had everyone’s attention, she continued speaking.

“First is the matter of Medjed,” she started, glancing over at Futaba who winced and inched behind Akira. “Futaba, weren’t you supposed to take care of them? Are you still working on it?”

“Ah, w-well Akira said….”

Makoto’s glance immediately shot over to Akira, who remained calm as he smiled.

“Sorry, Makoto. I told her to hold off on taking down Medjed.”

His statement was met with mixed exclamations of surprise and confusion, but he held up a hand to quiet everyone down so he could explain.

“Haven’t you noticed? Ever since this incident with Medjed started, more and more people have been talking about the Phantom Thieves--and the more people acknowledge us, the deeper we seem to be able to travel into Mementos.”

Morgana’s eyes widened in realization. “I see… that makes sense!” With a grin, he added, “As expected of our leader!”

“I see… I suppose that’s true,” Makoto conceded.

Yusuke nodded in agreement. “People are shallow--most only care because they want to follow the trend. If we were to resolve this matter too quickly, people would move on to the next trend just as quickly, and would forget about us almost entirely.”

“But isn’t it a bit dangerous to let this go on for too long?” Ann questioned worriedly as she glanced at Futaba. “I mean, how long will it actually take to take down Medjed? What happens if we wait too long and Futaba can’t take them down in time?”

“Heheheh….” Futaba grinned, her glasses glinting as she pushed them up on her face. “Don’t underestimate the great Alibaba--I could take a bunch of low-level hackers like that down in one night if I really wanted to.”

“For real? That’s crazy!” Ryuji looked at Futaba in awe, a bright grin on his face. “So that means we can let people keep building up hype over us, and then _bam!_ We take ‘em out overnight right when they start thinking they’ve won! Everyone’ll go crazy over us!”

Akira couldn’t help but laugh softly at that. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though.” He glanced back at Makoto as he added, “You had another matter that you wanted to discuss with us?”

“Ah, yes. I was just thinking… this is Haru’s father; shouldn’t she have a right to know what we’re doing?”

The group fell quiet at that, uncertainty filling the air.

Unsurprisingly, Akira was the one to break the silence. “Let’s go into Okumura’s palace for now--we can get a feel for what we’re up against, and after that we can try and get in contact with Haru to discuss what we’ve seen. She might even be willing to help us.”

“You think she might have a Persona?” Morgana questioned.

Akira shrugged. “Well, we’ve found at least one new Persona user with each palace that we’ve gone through--and besides, with her situation, I’m sure she wants freedom just as much as all of us do.”

The group fell quiet once more at that, this time with expressions of understanding rather than uncertainty as they nodded in agreement.

“So it’s settled, then?” Akira checked, waiting until he received the okay from his team before hitting the navigation button on his phone, the area shifting around them as they slipped into Okumura’s palace.

* * *

As Akira had expected, the group ran into their first roadblock early on in the form of an unlockable door with a biometric security system--which was the final piece that Akira needed to convince the group that they should confront Haru and bring her with them into the Metaverse, both to see what her father’s true colors were and to give her the opportunity to help them reform him for the better.

It took a few days for Makoto to get a hold of Haru (Akira could have easily done it himself, or even asked Futaba to get Haru’s phone number, but he had a feeling that Makoto wanted to take care of contacting Haru herself), but after she finally explained the situation to her, Haru agreed to meet with their group and speak with them more in detail about her father.

Thankfully, everything went as Akira hoped it would: Haru fit right in with the rest of their group, entering Okumura’s palace with them and opening the otherwise unlockable door; the Phantom Thieves protected Haru from the sudden onslaught of shadows that had been in waiting behind the door; they moved on and ended up confronting both Okumura’s shadow and the shadow of Haru’s disgusting fiance, Sugimura--

And Haru had her awakening, finally completing their group.

Akira ordered a retreat as soon as Sugimura’s shadow had been defeated, and there were no complaints as the group pulled back, Makoto taking the lead on Johanna with Haru weakly holding on to her from behind.

Everyone regrouped outside of Okumura Foods headquarters, exhausted but otherwise no worse for wear.

“This palace is going to be tough…,” Ann breathed out, stretching and grimacing slightly.

“I agree, we should tread carefully; the security in this palace seems especially high,” Yusuke added with a thoughtful frown.

Haru dropped her gaze guiltily. “I apologize, my father is… a very wary person.”

“It isn’t your fault,” Makoto assured her with a pat on the shoulder and a small smile that Haru returned.

“Thank you, Mako-chan.”

Akira stepped forward, his serious expression silently prompting the group to give him their undivided attention as he spoke. “We have the advantage of time on our side--there’s no deadline for this palace, and though I’m sure we would all prefer to change Okumura’s heart sooner rather than later, I think it would be best to take our time; at least until we get a better idea of the layout of the palace and the strength of the shadows we’re up against.” He glanced at Haru as he added, “I also think that we should focus on taking on more Mementos requests for the time being. It would be a good way to help Haru get adjusted, and between Kaneshiro’s palace and Futaba’s palace, we haven’t had much time to pay attention to the Phansite.”

Morgana hopped up onto Akira’s shoulder. “I agree. It would be reckless to push through this palace--we need to focus on building up our strength, and traveling further into Mementos while the public is focused on us.”

“Guess that means we’ll be sticking to Mementos runs for a while?” Ryuji asked.

Akira nodded. “I think that should be our focus for now, at least for the next few days. Is that alright with everyone?”

He received a round of nods and verbal agreement from the group.

“Good. Then let’s go home and get some rest.”

As the group began making their way towards the train station, Akira glanced over at Ryuji, who met his gaze with a grin.

“I’ve got nothing to do tonight, if you’re free.”

Akira couldn’t help but smile as he nodded, and Morgana rolled his eyes from where he remained perched on Akira’s shoulder.

“If Ryuji is coming over, then I’m staying at Boss’s house. I don’t want to hear you two getting all lovey-dovey with each other.”

Ryuji blushed, his embarrassment not helped by the muffled laughter of the rest of the group, but it wasn’t exactly like he could _deny_ it--and even if they hadn’t mentioned anything to their friends about their relationship, Ryuji had a feeling that they all already knew anyway.

Not like Ryuji and Akira were being very subtle about things to begin with, but it was still embarrassing.

Futaba saved him from having to say anything as she reached up and picked Morgana up off of Akira’s shoulder with a grin. “Don’t worry Mona, you can sleep in my room!”

As the group became distracted by laughing over Morgana struggling to escape Futaba’s hugging and petting, Ryuji hesitated, glancing at Akira before squaring up and taking Akira’s hand in his own. He determinedly kept Akira's hand in his grasp even as Akira jerked slightly in surprise, a light blush heating up Akira's cheeks and an incredulous smile working its way onto his face as he gave Ryuji’s hand a grateful squeeze in return.

Even as the group continued on towards the train station, even when Ryuji knew that the rest of them could plainly see Akira’s hand in his own, Ryuji stubbornly continued to act normal until the embarrassment faded and he was genuinely smiling and laughing with the rest of his friends.

They never said a word about Ryuji and Akira holding hands all the way onto their train, but the supportive smiles and looks of approval meant more to both Ryuji and Akira than they could ever express.

* * *

“So, how many people left?”

Akira moved his head off of Ryuji’s chest to glance up at him with an inquisitive noise, the two of them laying together on Akira’s bed in the attic despite the sweltering heat.

“Until we’ve got all the Phantom Thieves together, I mean. Was Haru the last one, or are there more?”

Akira hesitated, debating how much to say before finally settling on, “She’s the last official Phantom Thief, yes.”

“ _Official_ Phantom Thief?”

Akira rested his head back against his boyfriend’s chest, not wanting to think about Akechi while he was relaxed and happily together with Ryuji.

Ryuji sighed, figuring he wasn’t going to get an answer just yet, and went back to running his fingers through Akira’s hair.

“Okay, so if we’ve got all the  _official_ Phantom Thieves together, then does that mean you’re gonna tell everyone about the time loop stuff?”

Akira couldn’t help but tense up nervously at that, even if he knew Ryuji meant no harm. “... Not yet,” he replied quietly. “Just… I’ll tell them, I promise, but it’s just not the right time.”

Ryuji frowned. “Akira… y’know everyone’ll believe you, right? And they’re not gonna hate you or anything, though they might be a bit pissed off that you didn’t tell them sooner.”

“I know,” Akira murmured.

“Do you?”

Akira remained quiet for a moment before letting out a soft sigh, a humorless smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I’d like to hope so, but… I can’t help it. Everything is going so well, I just… I’m scared--what if I tell them, and end up ruining everything?”

Ryuji gently tilted Akira’s head up to look at him. “Did you ruin everything by telling me?”

“... No….”

“Then why would you ruin everything by telling them? They all trust you and care about you just as much as I do.” Ryuji paused for a moment before adding with a grin, “Well, _almost_ as much, anyway.”

Akira blushed lightly and smiled, admittedly feeling a bit more relaxed when Ryuji put things into such simple terms.

“Thank you,” Akira responded, shifting up to press a kiss to Ryuji’s cheek. “I can always count on you to help me calm down and get my head on straight.”

“Glad I could help.” Ryuji pulled Akira into a proper kiss, the two of them relaxing back onto the bed in a warm yet comfortable heap of tangled limbs.

“My own fears aside,” Akira started after a moment of comfortable silence, “there really is one more thing that I’m waiting for before I was considering telling everyone.” At the light jab to his side, Akira laughed quietly and amended his statement. “Okay, before I _definitely_ tell everyone.”

“Better.” Ryuji nodded in satisfaction, his grin dying down into a curious look as he asked, “Can you tell me what that ‘one more thing’ is, or…?”

Akira shook his head, his expression apologetic. “It’s… I have a feeling you’ll figure it out when it happens, but until then I can’t say anything. I’m sorry.”

Ryuji smiled and shrugged. “It’s fine, you don’t gotta apologize. I get that there’s some stuff that you can’t say--just remember that whenever that time comes, I have your back, alright?”

Akira’s expression relaxed into a smile as he leaned forward to press another kiss to Ryuji’s lips.

“I know.”

Knowing what was unavoidably coming up soon… Akira was more grateful than ever to have Ryuji’s unconditional support.

He had a feeling he was really going to need it.

But that was all in the future, and Akira didn’t want to waste any more of his time in the present thinking about things that haven’t happened yet: instead, he poured his focus into the sound of Ryuji’s heartbeat beneath his ear; the soft rise and fall of his chest beneath his head; the feeling of his fingers running through his hair; and the warmth of their bodies pressed flush against one another as he let the tension drain from his frame, until he felt himself beginning to doze off into a peaceful sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note: this chapter is where things start to get very spoiler-heavy, so for anyone who hasn't played past Okumura's palace and doesn't want to be spoiled, I'd suggest bookmarking this fic and coming back to it later! I'd feel bad if I accidentally spoiled someone;;
> 
> I was looking forward to writing this chapter for the longest time, had a moment of anxious doubt once I finally did write it, and honestly I only kept it in because the Pegoryu discord is so supportive and them screaming over snippets of it made me feel like it wasn't as horrible as I was worried it was lmao so thanks guys <3

Something was off about Akira.

It wasn’t the usual “he’s hiding something about the future”-off kind of feeling, either: it was something more unsettling, something that kept flickering in and out of existence with more frequency over the past few weeks, and it was driving Ryuji crazy not being able to pin down what was wrong with his boyfriend.

What was worse was Akira’s genuine confusion when Ryuji tried to broach the subject--which meant that if something really _was_ wrong, even Akira himself didn’t realize it.

Finally deciding to just put the matter out of his mind, convinced that he was thinking too hard about things, Ryuji made his way to LeBlanc with the intent of surprising his boyfriend with an unannounced visit--except he wasn’t expecting to glance through the window of the cafe and see Akira sitting in one of the booths with _Akechi_ , of all people.

_What…?_

While Ryuji might not have been the most stealthy person, months of being a Phantom Thief gave him enough skill to stay out of sight as he carefully observed the two of them, his brows furrowing and a scowl tugging at his lips as he watched Akira lean across the booth with a smirk and saw an unmistakable blush on Akechi’s face.

_What the_ **_hell_** _?_

Ryuji was tempted to throw the door open and storm inside--but no, he couldn’t jump to conclusions, not without something more to go on than just Akira making the detective blush. He carefully inched the door open, just enough to hear Akira and Akechi speaking without the bell above the door ringing to alert them of his presence.

“--not too far off,” Akechi was saying. “If it wasn’t for you….”

“Please, you give me too much credit, _Goro~_ ”

The way Akira practically _purred_ Akechi’s name made Ryuji’s blood boil as much as it made a shiver of disgust run down his spine.

Akechi coughed into his hand, obviously flustered. “You are… a very difficult person, Kurusu-kun, but I really do appreciate your assistance. It’s refreshing to have someone with such a sharp mind to consult.” The light sound of something clicking met Ryuji’s ears, and he could just barely make out what looked like a chess board on the table between them. “Check.”

Akira chuckled and moved one of his own pieces, a smirk on his face. “Oh, don’t be like that, Goro--you wouldn’t be enjoying yourself this much if I wasn’t _difficult_.”

“ _Enjoying_ is a bit of an exaggeration,” Akechi muttered, though there was a fondness in his tone that made Ryuji’s stomach turn.

“You wound me, Goro dearest,” Akira replied, putting a hand over his chest. “And here I thought we had something special.” He moved another one of his pieces while Akechi was busy blushing and glaring at him over the rim of his coffee cup. “Also, check.”

Ryuji couldn’t stand another second of this--he threw the door open, subtlety be damned, and stormed into the cafe, his irritation growing as Akira had the nerve to brighten up at the sight of him instead of looking guilty or nervous.

“Ryuji! I thought you were busy today?”

“Yeah, well, I figured I’d drop by and surprise you,” Ryuji responded through gritted teeth, before shooting a glare at Akechi as the detective awkwardly cleared his throat.

“Ah… you must be Sakamoto-kun,” Akechi began, his polite smile making Ryuji’s blood boil even more. “Kurusu-kun has told me a lot about you. He holds you in very high regard.”

“Of course I do,” Akira responded with an affectionate smile. “Isn’t it normal to hold the person you love in high regard?”

Ryuji, despite his irritation, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction as Akechi’s expression briefly twisted--in jealousy, or something else, Ryuji couldn’t say--before returning to his normal plastic smile.

“I suppose I wouldn’t know, I’ve never been so lucky,” Akechi responded with a light laugh.

“Hmm~? Are you saying that Mister Popularity hasn’t ever been in love?” Akira leaned forward slightly, a smirk on his face. “Now there’s a surprise--though I guess when you’re as incredible as _you_ are, it’s hard to find someone that could measure up to your standards.”

Akechi smiled weakly, his face lightly flushed as he distractedly moved another chess piece. “ _Incredible_ is an overstatement, but… I suppose you’re right. Perhaps I do have my standards set too high.”

“Such a shame,” Akira responded airily, his smirk widening as he moved one of his chess pieces. “Checkmate.”

Akechi blinked, startled, and did a double-take as he looked at the board before letting out a weak laugh. “So it seems. I suppose it’s your victory this time--that makes our score… six wins for me, seven for you, then?”

“And three hard-fought draws,” Akira added with a smile.

“Yes, very true,” Akechi agreed with a smile of his own as he rose out of his seat. “I should get going--I wouldn’t want to take up any more of your time, and I unfortunately have work to do.”

“Thanks for stopping by, _Goro~_ Come again soon.”

Akechi glanced at Ryuji, who didn’t bother hiding his irritation, before looking back at Akira with a weak smile. “Of course. Have a good evening, you two.”

With that, Akechi picked up his briefcase and exited (fled) the cafe, leaving just Akira and Ryuji in the otherwise empty room.

“Alright, I’m gonna do my best and give you the benefit of the doubt here,” Ryuji started after a moment of silence, his hands clenched into fists as he fought to try and stay calm. “Please explain to me what the _fuck_ all of that was.”

Akira blinked, confused, before frowning. “Ryuji… are you angry?”

“ _Yes_ I’m fuckin’ angry!!” Ryuji exploded, one of his fists hitting the top of the booth seat in frustration. “You were fuckin’ _flirting_ with him!”

“Oh, that?”

“You’re not even gonna deny it?!”

Akira laughed, the sound giving Ryuji pause and sending a chill down his spine. “Ryuji… I think you’re misunderstanding something here.” He reached up and pulled Ryuji down into the booth with him, and he was too caught off-guard to resist as he stumbled down onto the seat. “Did you think I was cheating on you?”

Ryuji faltered, a feeling of guilt bubbling up inside of him as he heard the harsh accusation being said so casually. “I… w-well what the hell was I _supposed_ to think, seeing you acting like that and watching him get all flustered!”

“Oh Ryuji….” Akira laughed again, both the sound and Akira’s expression sending another chill running through Ryuji’s body, and the hand that moved up to caress Ryuji’s cheek somehow felt cold as ice against his skin. “Let me make something clear for you, okay?” Akira’s eyes met Ryuji’s, and he felt a spike of fear shoot through him at the dark, almost manic look in Akira’s eyes as he smiled. “ ** _I hate him._ ** Just like I love you with every fiber of my being, I _loathe_ Akechi with every fiber of my being--I would love nothing more than to run my dagger across his throat, to put my gun to his head and watch him stare in fear as I pull the trigger… and he would deserve it, _god_ he would deserve it, and it would feel _so satisfying_ \--”

“A… Akira…,” Ryuji swallowed thickly. “Akira, you’re kinda scaring me….”

Akira paused at that, his expression softening in guilt as he came back to his senses and pulled his hand away as if burnt. “... I’m sorry.” He smiled humorlessly. “I can understand why you’d be upset with me, and why you’d be freaked out. If you want to leave, I--”

“No, don’t even start with that bullshit.” Ryuji scowled, inwardly relieved to see a more normal expression on Akira’s face. “We need to talk about whatever the fuck that was _right now_ , and you’re not getting out of it that easy.”

Akira glanced away. “I… suppose there’s no avoiding it at this point. Let’s go upstairs; if Sojiro asks why I closed early, we can say I wasn’t feeling well.”

Ryuji nodded and rose to his feet, still unsure of how exactly to feel--he was still angry and upset, rightfully so as far as he was concerned, but after seeing how Akira was acting and listening to him speak, he had a feeling that things were a lot more complicated than he’d initially assumed.

Akira rose to his feet as well, moving over to the door so he could change the sign to “closed” and lock it before beginning to head upstairs, not even bothering to clean up the table. He took a seat on the edge of his bed, and he couldn’t even pretend not to be upset when Ryuji sat down on the sofa instead of sitting next to him--but he deserved it, it didn’t matter if he was doing this for everyone’s sake, he deserved the piercing pain in his chest from the angry expression on Ryuji’s face.

“Well?” Ryuji prompted with a bit more harshness than intended, and he had to force back the urge to apologize and rush over to Akira’s side as he saw him flinch.

“Akechi is… dangerous,” Akira began slowly, his gaze on the ground as he tried to pick and choose his words carefully. “Every conversation is a mind game--if you’re not careful, he can pull the rug out from under your feet without you even realizing until it’s too late. Flustering him is the easiest way to get him to loosen his tongue--and trust me, I hate myself plenty for doing it even without you hating me for it too.”

Ryuji frowned. “... I don’t hate you.”

Akira smiled weakly at that but said nothing in response, instead continuing his explanation. “My biggest regret from the first timeline was that I couldn’t save Akechi. Every time I tried to help him in other timelines, something would go wrong--until one timeline I grew desperate enough to approach him from the very beginning and tell him everything that I knew.”

The color drained from Ryuji’s face as the pieces slowly began to fit together in his mind.

* * *

_“I approached someone that I shouldn’t have approached, told him things that I shouldn’t have known, and he… convinced me that helping him would be enough of a change that it would break me out of the loop.”_

* * *

_“I would love nothing more than to run my dagger across his throat--”_

* * *

_“I can still remember the feeling of my dagger slitting your throat,” Akira said as he ran his finger along Ryuji’s throat. “You’d be surprised how much blood the body can lose like that, even in the Metaverse.”_

* * *

_“--to put my gun to his head and watch him stare in fear as I pull the trigger--”_

* * *

_“I remember holding your body, staring around at the bodies of our friends… and then turning to stare into the barrel of his gun before everything went black.” Akira choked out a humorless laugh. “I never wished so badly to never wake up again in my life.”_

* * *

“... It was him.” Ryuji’s shock quickly began to shift to a white-hot seething rage the longer the realization set in for. “That detective bastard… _he_ was the one that got you to kill us in that timeline, wasn’t he.”

Akira said nothing, but the look on his face was answer enough.

Before Ryuji could say anything else, Akira pushed on with his explanation. “Ever since then, I just… my sympathy towards him began to fade until there was hardly anything left.” With a small, wry smile, he added, “There’s only so many times you can tolerate having your life ruined and getting killed by the same person before you stop trying to justify their actions--but even so…." Akira frowned. "As much as I would love to kill him, and as much as he would deserve it, I know it would bother me if I went through all of this struggling and fighting against fate only to let him get killed off--either by _that person’s_ hand or by my own--without him even having the chance to repent for everything he’s done. It would be like… like just letting him get away with all the pain and suffering that he caused me and so many others; I just can’t let that happen, not for a single moment of gratification.”

Ryuji took a breath, letting it out slowly as he tried to force himself to calm down--there was no point in getting angry right now, not when his anger wasn’t directed (entirely) at Akira anymore. “If he’s that horrible, then why don’t we just change his heart?” he suggested after a moment. “He’s probably got a palace if he’s that horrible--”

Akira smiled humorlessly. “If only it were that easy.”

Ryuji’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Whaddya mean? We don’t even gotta tell the others, I’m sure you ‘n’ I could tackle it ourselves--”

“He doesn’t have a palace, Ryuji.”

To prove it, Akira pulled out his phone and opened the Meta-Nav, inputting Akechi’s name before showing that there was no hits.

“... So then he’s gotta at _least_ have a shadow in Mementos, right?” Ryuji asked weakly, his irritation beginning to flare up once more as Akira shook his head. “What the _hell_ _?_ How can he be that cruel of a person and not have any kind’a shadow or palace or _anything?_

“There’s… certain circumstances,” Akira began slowly, wincing as Ryuji shot him a glare.

“Oh no, you don’t get to pull that vague bullshit right now. I haven’t pressed you on anything else before, but I sure as hell have a fuckin' right to know about all this.”

Akira grimaced. “I… okay, fine, that’s fair. Just… please, for the love of god Ryuji, _please_ keep what I’m going to tell you to yourself--not that I don’t trust you _not_ to, because you’ve done an incredible job so far and I’m _so_ grateful and proud of you and for not letting anything I’ve told you slip; but there’s going to be at least one point in the possibly-near future where we’re going to have to interact with Akechi again, and I’ll tell you right now that you _will_ be putting my life and the lives of the rest of our friends at risk if you so much as _hint_ at knowing any of this. Akechi is disgustingly sharp on a normal day--if he so much as _suspects_ that any one of us knows something like this… it wouldn’t end well for us, no matter how careful we are.”

Ryuji scowled in a poor attempt to cover up the dread that was building inside of him. “I get it, I get it, just spit it out already!”

Akira let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair before finally saying, “Akechi is a Persona user.”

There was a moment of silence as the heavy words filled the air, before Ryuji finally spoke up.

“... He’s…. For real? He has a _Persona_ _?_ But… but _how?_ ”

“Ryuji, we’re not the only ones that know about the Metaverse. Don’t you remember what Madarame and Kaneshiro said, about the other person in their palaces with the black mask?”

“Are you saying that they were talking about _Akechi?_ ” Ryuji asked incredulously, before adding, “And wait-- what the _fuck_ , he’s putting down the Phantom Thieves on TV and acting all high ‘n’ mighty when _he’s_ going into the Metaverse too! What the _fuck?_ ”

“It’s all a part of how he operates: he causes the mental shutdowns in the Metaverse, and then ‘investigates’ them as a detective and takes credit for solving the cases. It’s how he’s built himself up to where he is now--and it’s exactly why he’s so dangerous.” Akira narrowed his eyes. “He’s a pawn, following someone else’s orders, but he’s _willingly_ letting himself be manipulated--he thinks that he’ll be able to turn the tables right at the end and get his revenge, except he doesn’t realize that _that person_ already knows that Akechi will double-cross them one day. Akechi is just so focused on his own revenge that he doesn’t care who he has to get rid of and how much blood he has to stain his hands with in order to do it.”

“That’s… god, I couldn’t stand that sunnova bitch before, but…  _what the fuck_ …?” Ryuji leaned back on the sofa, one hand moving up to run through his hair in a mixture of anger and frustration. “This whole time-- this _whole time_ , he’s been running around in the Metaverse fuckin’ people’s lives up? Before we even knew the Metaverse was a thing?”

“Yes, and it’s for that reason that we can’t approach him carelessly--he’s more powerful than any of us.”

“Any of us except you,” Ryuji said with the slightest hint of reluctance--he would love to claim that Akechi wasn’t more powerful than him either, but even he realized how stubbornly foolish that would be. “You already said you’ve got more powerful Personas hidden away--you can’t tell me that he’s stronger than you, there’s no way.”

Akira couldn’t help but smile slightly at that. “I’m flattered by your faith in my strength--and yes, you’re right. He’s not as powerful as me… but the problem is, he’s more _influential_ than I am. He has the entirety of the police force essentially under his thumb thanks to _that person_ ; meanwhile I’m just some kid who’s one step away from being thrown in jail for a crime that I didn’t even commit. I have nothing except the bonds that I’ve made during my probation here in Tokyo, and that isn’t enough to go up against Akechi, at least not to the extent that I want to go up against him--which is why I’m trying a different approach.” Akira’s smile darkened slightly as he continued. “You know what they say, ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’: I’m making him grow close to me, keeping close tabs on what information he does and doesn’t have, easing him into letting down his guard around me more and more--of course, there’s no guarantee that it’ll change anything, but if I’m right, then in the long run….”

Ryuji frowned. “In the long run…?”

“Well, I would like to think that Akechi developing a deeper connection with me will change how he acts once he inevitably discovers the identities of the Phantom Thieves.”

Ryuji’s eyes narrowed, but he inwardly couldn’t help but agree--if Akechi was this dangerous, then it would probably be in their best interests to try and have Akechi be at least a bit more favorable towards them, if not entirely on their side.

That didn’t mean he had to like it, though. Not if it meant Akira was going to be _flirting_ with that cruel bastard, of all things.

“What’s the point of going through all that if he’s gonna discover our identities anyway?” Ryuji asked stubbornly. “I mean, yeah, he’s prolly a lot stronger than us individually, but can’t we just fight him together if he tries anything?”

“We _could_ , and we would win,” Akira replied, surprising Ryuji--he hadn’t expected Akira to agree with him. “But there are certain events that need to happen, and if we take Akechi down too quickly… well, I say this from experience: it would make things a _lot_ more difficult for us. We’re already going to be making things a bit harder by finishing Okumura’s palace a whole two months earlier than normal; that means two less months of preparing before _that person_ sends Akechi after us to try and double-cross us.”

“Wait, what do you mean double-cross us?”

“If everything goes the same as I remember, Akechi’s going to try and blackmail us into letting him join us, to take down who he says is a ‘common interest’ for us both--and he’s going to pretend that he only just recently awakened his Persona. But do you know how we’ll know that that’s a lie?”

“... Uh… because you said so?”

Akira couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out at that. “Well, you’re not wrong--but I meant… do you remember back when we first met Akechi, at the TV station?”

“Yeah…?”

“And do you remember how he approached us mentioning something about pancakes?”

“Yeah-- wait….” Ryuji’s eyes widened in realization. “It was kinda weird at the time, and we just sorta ignored it ‘cuz it made no sense, but… shit, now that I think about it, didn’t _Mona_ mention something about pancakes…? Does that mean Akechi heard Mona back then?”

Akira, despite all the negative feelings swirling inside him as they talked about Akechi, couldn’t help but beam proudly at Ryuji, who in turn blushed and ducked his head in embarrassment.

“Yes, that’s exactly right--Akechi didn’t put the pieces together back then, thankfully, but neither did we. It was only when Akechi pretended--or, well, when he _will pretend_ \--to hear Morgana for the first time that I first realized what was off about him.”

“Okay, so he’s gonna try and double-cross us, but _how?_ He’s gonna pretend to be working with us to get through a palace, and then he’s gonna… what, steal the treasure from us? Kill the person’s shadow before we can stop him?”

“... Will you hate me if I say that I can’t say anything else?”

Ryuji watched Akira for a moment, taking in his genuine distress before letting out a long sigh. “Of course I won’t hate you. I’m surprised I got even this much out of you, so… thanks for being honest with me.”

“I’m sorry,” Akira said with a sigh. “You have every right to be angry at me.”

“You’re damn right I do,” Ryuji grumbled. “But I get it--you weren’t flirting with him, at least not with the kind’a intent I thought you had, and… I’m sorry. I should’ve trusted you more.”

Akira shook his head, a humorless smile on his face. “No, I don’t blame you. I’m constantly keeping things from you; it’s only natural for you to have some doubts now and then, and just because my intentions weren’t as bad as you assumed doesn’t make what I’m doing right--in fact, I’d say it’s even worse. I’m trying to manipulate someone’s feelings, knowing fully well how pathetically desperate he is for some genuine kindness, affection, and acceptance--and honestly? As vain as it probably sounds, I’m hoping that he falls in love with me.” His smile darkened slightly as he added, “I want him to look at me and want me badly enough that the guilt from even just _knowing_ what he has to do eats away at him, and I want him to know that he’ll never be able to have me no matter what, because I belong to _you_ and only to you. If he has to live for the rest of his life knowing that the first person he fell in love with is forever out of his reach, just like how I had to suffer for so many decades… well, it won’t make up for everything I went through because of him, but it would sure as hell be a satisfying start.”

Ryuji blushed lightly at Akira’s firm declaration (“ _I belong to you and only to you_ ”--why was Ryuji such an idiot that he could never seem to remember that Akira only ever had eyes for him?), though he couldn’t keep the frown off of his face as he replied, “... Yeah, honestly that is really fucked up--but y’know what? I think you’ve  _earned_ being a bit fucked up, at least towards that bastard for everything he’s done to you. I mean _shit_ , I don’t even know the half of it, but from what I _do_ know… I don’t think I’d even be able to look someone like that in the eye without fuckin’ trying to beat the shit out of ‘em.”

“It’s not easy,” Akira agreed. “Honestly, the only reason I’m able to even stand being around him, let alone acting all disgustingly sweet towards him, is just by thinking of you: I just keep reminding myself that--my own revenge aside--everything that I do, I’m doing for our future, for the future of our friends, and for the chance of breaking out of this damn time loop once and for all and making sure that we get the best possible outcome.”

“Akira….”

Ryuji hesitated before standing up and moving over to Akira, sitting next to him on the bed and wrapping an arm around him--and it was obvious just how nervous Akira had been as he relaxed immediately in response.

“I’d do anything for you,” Akira said quietly as he leaned against Ryuji. “And for everyone else, of course, but for you… I just don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to lose this, I don’t want to lose _us_.”

“So next time, give me a heads-up when you’re gonna be pretending to flirt with someone so I don’t get the wrong idea,” Ryuji replied wryly, giving Akira a kiss on the top of his head to show that he wasn’t angry anymore--it was hard to stay angry now that he knew the full picture; or at least, it was hard to stay angry at _Akira_.

_Akechi_ , on the other hand… well, he really hoped that he wouldn’t run into the detective in the street or something, because he might not be able to keep himself from lashing out at him--or worse--without Akira around to stop him.

He was going to have one hell of a time keeping a straight face whenever the son of a bitch met up with them to try and blackmail them… but hell, if he’d managed to come this far without blowing anything for Akira, then he could hold his tongue and keep himself in check for this too.

(If Akira had managed to control himself, then what right did Ryuji have to be the first one to crack? Akira was the one that deserved to--and _wanted to_ \--tear the damn detective to shreds after everything he’d been through; it wouldn’t be fair if Ryuji ended up being the first one to take a swing at him instead.)

Akira murmured another apology, pressing even closer to Ryuji and closing his eyes. “I’m not as good of a person as you think I am, you know,” Akira spoke after a moment, his voice soft. “I’ve done horrible things just like he has, I have blood on my hands just like he does--”

“Don’t you _dare_ compare yourself to him,” Ryuji said sharply, wrapping his arms around Akira and shifting so he could pull his boyfriend against his chest in a tight hug. “You _are_ a good person; you were forced into horrible circumstances, but that don’t mean you’re a bad person. You… shit, Akira, _anyone_ would be fuckin’ pissed off and wanting revenge after all the shit you’ve been through; hell, I prolly would’ve drove my bat through his head _years_ ago if I’d had to go through _half_ the shit you went through.”

Akira laughed softly, not at all perturbed by the mental image--in fact, it was oddly satisfying, picturing Akechi’s head being bashed in until it was completely unrecognizable, with that plastic smile of his wiped away for good. “I did, once--kill him, I mean. It wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped it would be, but that was probably because it hadn’t been entirely intentional, and I wasn’t in the right mental state to enjoy it.” He paused for a moment before adding wryly, “Though I suppose being in a mental state where I would enjoy killing someone isn’t exactly a good thing.”

“Well, no, I guess not… but dude, I don’t think anyone could go through what you’ve been through and be completely normal, no offense.”

“None taken,” Akira responded. “Honestly, as long as you still accept me and care about me, that’s all that matters--the last thing I want is for my insanity to drive you away.”

“‘Insanity’ might be a bit much, you’re not _that_ bad.” Ryuji smiled wryly. “I’ve seen way worse than you, and those people haven’t even come _close_ to everything that you’ve gone through.”

“... I scared you before, though.”

Ryuji winced slightly. “Yeah, you did,” he agreed reluctantly, not wanting to lie after getting Akira to be so honest with him. “But that’s just ‘cuz I had no idea where any of that was coming from. Now that I get what’s going on in your head when you look at that bastard, everything makes sense.”

Akira let out a quiet sigh as he nuzzled against Ryuji with a small smile. “I had to have done something right to be allowed to have someone as incredible as you in my life.”

“I’m not the incredible one here.” Ryuji kissed the top of Akira’s head. “And you’ve done plenty of things right.”

“I’ve done plenty of things wrong, too.”

Ryuji shrugged. “Hey, no one’s perfect. Just look at me, I’m the biggest fuckup there is.”

Akira opened his eyes to look at Ryuji with a frown on his face. “I’m looking at you, and all I see is perfection.”

The sincerity in Akira’s tone made a light blush creep up onto Ryuji’s face, even has he rolled his eyes and ruffled Akira’s hair. “Of course _you_ think that.”

Akira smiled and closed his eyes once more as he went back to laying against Ryuji, his voice soft as he spoke. “Anyone who doesn’t think you’re perfect just the way you are doesn’t deserve you.”

Ryuji’s blush darkened--maybe one day he’d have the kind of confidence and love for himself that Akira had for him, but for now all he could do was shake his head slightly and mutter, “Y’know, we _did_ start off talkin’ about you--how the hell did this get turned around to talking about me?”

Akira laughed softly. “Because I love talking about you?”

Ryuji snorted lightly in amusement. “Dork. Of course you would.”

Before Akira could say anything else, Ryuji pulled him into a kiss--and Akira was more than happy to fall into the affectionate gesture as the two of them focused on putting the long, tense evening behind them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Pegoryu Discord put the idea of Akira being terrible at video games in my head, so I had to fit it in lol. I don't play Minecraft at all though so all those ideas are courtesy of them--thanks guys! <3  
> Also, I have no idea if I even wrote Ohya correctly, I never finished her confidant route in my playthrough and I was never all that crazy about her character OTL;; But she was convenient for plot purposes, so I tried my best! ^^;;

Ever since Ryuji’s first afternoon of gaming with Futaba in Akira’s room in the middle of July, the two of them had made it a habit of meeting up both online and in person for gaming sessions whenever they were both free.

And for better or for worse, when they weren’t busy with Mementos runs, they were both free a _lot_.

Amusingly enough, whenever they tried to invite Akira to join them, he would decline with various excuses ranging from being too busy to just wanting to watch them play--until they both finally got him to cave and join them in a simple game of Minecraft.

After Akira somehow managed to get himself killed within five minutes of starting up the game, light one of Ryuji’s dogs on fire by accident, spawn the Wither, get himself killed again by said Wither, and accidentally burn down Futaba’s house trying to pour lava into the furnace (subsequently killing himself _again_ ), Futaba banned him from ever touching another video game in his entire life while Ryuji was busy rolling with laughter and trying to remember how breathing worked.

(Futaba, despite bemoaning the loss of her beautiful wooden house that she spent _five hours_ on, had the entire session recorded and was more than happy to both save it as a means of teasing the supposedly-perfect leader of the Phantom Thieves, and to send it to Ryuji for his repeated viewing pleasure whenever he needed a good laugh.)

(“Dude, you’ve been around for like a hundred years, how can you seriously tell me that you still suck at video games?” Ryuji teased the next day when they met up in private.

Akira blushed and glanced away in obvious embarrassment. “I had more important things to focus on than learning how to play _Minecraft_ , okay? Besides, I’m good at the games I own, isn’t that enough?”)

After that, the gaming sessions went back to just Ryuji and Futaba with Akira occasionally watching, either by hanging out in Futaba’s room or by Ryuji bringing his laptop to Akira’s--the latter of which Akira enjoyed and Ryuji tried to limit, since Akira seemed to take pleasure in teasing him while he was in the middle of matches and the other people on the Overwatch voice chat did _not_ need to hear them kissing every few seconds, damn it.

It was around two weeks into August when Ryuji came to Futaba’s house with his laptop in his arms and complaints of a broken A/C at home, and she was more than happy to let him crash in her blessedly cold room--which was something that Sojiro had been initially wary of when he and Futaba first started hanging out before Futaba pointed out that Ryuji was so deep in the closet for Akira that he was finding Christmas presents.

Ryuji’s rebuttal that he wasn’t in the closet _anymore_ didn’t exactly help his own embarrassment any, but it at least got Sojiro off of their backs so they could play their video games in peace.

So now Ryuji was free to invite himself over and plop himself down on Futaba’s bed without any worries of suspicious glances from Sojiro, which is exactly where he remained for the rest of the day: with his laptop resting on his stomach as he played co-op with Futaba, light banter mixed with requests and commentary passing easily between them over the sound of the game’s music coming from Ryuji’s laptop speakers.

It wasn’t until they heard an insistent scratching at Futaba’s door coupled with a familiar talking not-cat’s voice that the pair’s attention was pulled away from their respective computer screens, the two of them glancing at each other in surprise before Ryuji quickly closed and set aside his laptop, pushed himself up off the bed, and opened Futaba’s door.

“ _Finally_ ,” Morgana exclaimed, rushing into the room and hopping up onto Futaba’s desk. “Have either of you heard from Akira?”

Ryuji immediately pulled out his phone to check, a frown on his face when he didn’t see any new messages. “No, but why? Is he alright? Did something happen?”

Futaba frowned, minimizing the game screen on her computer and pulling up a new window before rapidly beginning to type as Morgana spoke.

“I don’t know… he said that he was going to Shinjuku to meet up with someone, but that was hours ago; he’s normally home by now.”

Ryuji glanced at his phone again, frowning when he saw the time. “Shit, it’s already past ten… what the hell’s he doing over there this late?”

He pulled up Akira’s number and hit the call button--logically he knew that Akira was more than capable of handling himself, but Morgana was obviously concerned (which was fair, since he had no way of checking on Akira himself), so it wouldn’t hurt to help put his mind at ease.

When Akira didn’t pick up his phone after three calls, however, a pit of dread began to form in Ryuji’s chest.

“I’ve got his location,” Futaba spoke up suddenly. “He’s at a place called ‘Crossroads’. Should I try contacting them directly?”

Ryuji slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Nah, don’t wanna make a big scene over nothing.” He pat Futaba’s head with one hand and Morgana’s with the other, giving them both a grin. “You two sit tight, and I’ll go make sure everything’s alright with him. Okay?”

“... Alright. We’re counting on you,” Morgana replied.

Ryuji nodded and left the room, only letting his grin fall into a worried expression once he was outside the house sprinting towards the train station.

He tried to keep his mind from jumping to worst-case scenarios, but without knowing what exactly Akira was doing and who he was meeting up with, and remembering everything that Akira had told him about Akechi….

All he could do was hope that Akira wasn’t getting involved in anything dangerous.

* * *

Akira hated coming to Crossroads.

Not that he had anything against the bar itself--the atmosphere was nice, and Lala was a pleasure to talk to and work alongside (especially during the earlier timelines, when he was still worrying about trying to earn enough money for weapons and medicine for the team--she was very generous with her salary for him, which he appreciated immensely).

It was just the association that he had with the bar: once he no longer needed money, there were only two reasons that he ever bothered coming back to this place.

Either to wheedle information out of Ohya (which grew less necessary over the years), or to wheedle drinks out of Ohya behind Lala’s back (which grew more necessary over the years, especially during some of the rougher patches).

Thankfully, this time he was here for the former and not the latter, but he had enough unpleasant memories of drinking until he was passed out or puking (or dying from alcohol poisoning, though that only happened once) that he found it difficult to repress a grimace as he stepped into the bar, instead plastering on a friendly smile as he greeted Lala before turning his attention to Ohya.

“Right on time~” she said by way of greeting, grinning and picking her glass up as she half sauntered, half stumbled over to a table in the back.

Akira followed her and took a seat across from the tipsy reporter, thanking Lala as she set down a glass of water in front of him and watching as Lala rolled her eyes and set a refill down for Ohya as well.

“You’re the best, Lala-chan~” Ohya downed the rest of the glass in her hand in one shot before handing it off to Lala and picking up her fresh glass, the ice clinking against the sides of the cup as she toyed with it almost enough for the liquid to tip out of the glass.

_Almost_ , but not quite--Akira could tell that she was still coherent, still sharp enough to catch him off-guard if he wasn’t careful. Like with Akechi, he had to pick and choose his words carefully; _unlike_ with Akechi, however, he couldn’t flirt his way through the conversation to get the information that he wanted, which made this all the more difficult.

But this was all to cover his bases and make sure that they would get the best possible ending if (no, _when_ ) he broke out of this time loop once and for all, and Akira would do anything to make sure that happened--even making deals with the Devil himself.

Or _her_ self, in this case.

“So, I hear you’re looking for more information?” Ohya leaned forward, her elbows on the table and her chin propped up in her hands. “I guess you were really pleased with my services, hm~?”

(Akira hadn’t actually needed the information that he’d asked her for regarding Kaneshiro; he’d only done so in order to start re-building his bond with her, not that she needed to know that.)

Akira smirked. “Your information was very helpful, yes--but the information that I’m looking for this time won’t be as easy to come by; it might be too difficult for you to obtain at all.”

“Oh?” Ohya raised an eyebrow, picking up her glass and taking a sip from it. “I think you’re underestimating me, boy.”

“I’d love for you to prove me wrong.”

Ohya laughed. “You’ve got spunk, I like that in a guy.” She leaned forward once more, her eyes narrowed as she lowered her voice. “Well? What sort of person do you have your eye on this time?”

“Two people, actually,” Akira began casually, glancing out of the corner of his eye to make sure that Lala wasn’t paying attention before swiping Ohya’s drink and taking a sip from it--this time only as a power move, rather than from any desire to actually get drunk. “You’ll probably recognize both of their names: Masayoshi Shido, and Goro Akechi.”

Ohya’s lips curled upwards in amusement, her eyes silently conveying approval of Akira’s gutsy move. “Those certainly are two big names these days--what could little old you want with them?”

Akira took another sip of her drink before smoothly sliding the glass back over to Ohya moments before Lala glanced in their direction. “Call it my inner journalist at work,” Akira replied with a wry smile, his expression turning serious as he continued. “I want to know if there’s a connection between the two of them. Any other dirt that you could dig up on them in the meantime would be helpful too, but I’m honestly not expecting much with how influential they both are.”

Ohya laughed, shaking her head slightly. “I knew I liked you for a reason.” She took a swig of her drink and slid the glass back over to Akira in a wordless offer once Lala’s attention had shifted over to another bar patron. “This sounds like an interesting challenge, but what will I be getting out of it?”

Akira took another sip of the proffered drink, already feeling the effects of the heavy liquor on his body in the form of a light flush (god, being stuck as a teenager with no tolerance for alcohol _sucked_ ). Thankfully, the lighting in the bar was just dim enough that Lala (hopefully) wouldn’t notice so long as Akira kept his head on straight.

“You’re still interested in learning more about the Phantom Thieves, right?” Upon receiving a nod, Akira silently sent an apology to Makoto before saying, “Then I know someone who can give you more information on them. Her name is Makoto Niijima, and she’s the student council president at Shujin: not only was she present for the incident with Kamoshida, but she was also personally threatened by Kaneshiro, so she should be able to tell you plenty about both incidents.”

(Makoto was the safest bet; she wouldn’t be happy about being volunteered like this, but she was level-headed and sharp enough to be able to answer any of Ohya’s questions without giving away any incriminating information.)

(Yusuke would have been his second choice--he knew that Ohya had been wanting to interview one of Madarame’s pupils since Ohya had first met Akira outside of Madarame’s shack--but Akira couldn’t bring himself to force something like that onto Yusuke when he knew he was still in the process of healing, even if he knew that his friend would take it in stride and handle the situation with just as much caution as Makoto.)

Akira took one more sip of Ohya’s drink as the reporter hummed in thought, sliding the glass back over to her when he felt Lala’s gaze moving over towards their table.

“That should be enough for a down-payment,” Ohya finally responded with a smirk. “But it depends on how much information _Makoto_ can give me that I haven’t already found for myself.”

“It also depends on how much information you’re able to find,” Akira responded coolly, a matching smirk on his face as he casually leaned back in his seat. “I’m not offering anything more until I’m sure that you can follow through. I believe that’s more than fair.”

Ohya grinned, downing the rest of her glass before slamming it down on the table with a pleased sigh. “Lala-chan~ I need a refill!” she called out with a wave of her hand, before lowering her voice as she glanced back at Akira and said, “Alright, you’ve got a deal.”

Akira innocently took a few sips from his glass of water as Lala came over to their table with a roll of her eyes and a freshly topped off glass in her hand, smiling as Lala glanced at him and waiting until she finally left before turning back to Ohya with a smirk.

“Glad to hear it. I’ll send Makoto your way within the next few days.”

Ohya smiled, raising her glass and clinking it against Akira’s raised glass of water. “I look forward to it.”

* * *

Ryuji was very grateful that he wasn’t wearing anything that could give away his age--like his school uniform--as he walked through the streets of Shinjuku: he was already standing out enough as it was between his hair and his posture, the last thing he needed while trying to look for Akira was to be stopped by the cops for being underage and in Shinjuku so late at night.

He’d been to Shinjuku once or twice, but never past sundown, and he had to try and stop himself from looking around curiously in favor of focusing on the matter at hand.

“Now where the hell’s this ‘Crossroads’ place…?” he muttered to himself, taking out his phone--first to try calling Akira again (with no response) before pulling up a map and putting in “Crossroads” as the destination. “It’s a bar? What the hell’s Akira doing at a _bar?_ ”

Now more worried than ever, Ryuji began following the directions on his phone, not even paying attention to his surroundings until he nearly walked straight into two men.

“Sorry--” Ryuji looked up from his phone, just barely stopping himself from yelping as he saw two adult men in front of him, eyeing him with obvious interest.

“Oh it’s more than okay~”

Ryuji recoiled and pulled away as one of the men grabbed his arm, a nervous grin on his face. “Uh, yeah, look, I-- sorry about bumping into you; I’m just gonna get going--”

He took a wary step backwards, jumping as he bumped into someone else.

“Sorry boys, he’s already taken.”

Ryuji blushed as arms loosely wrapped around him from behind, and he turned slightly in surprise to see Akira’s smirking face. “Akira!”

As the two men wandered off, bemoaning how all the cute ones were always already taken, Akira’s smirk died down into a concerned frown.

“Why are you here? It’s dangerous wandering around this late in a place like this.”

Ryuji scowled and pulled away from Akira to turn and properly look at him. “That’s my line, you asshole! Do you even realize how worried we were?! Morgana said you’d been gone for hours, you weren’t picking up your phone….”

Akira blinked in confusion, frowning as he pulled out his phone before wincing guiltily as he saw the missed calls and texts. “Sorry… I had my phone on silent, I forgot to check it.”

Ryuji let out an irritated breath, moving a hand up to run through his hair. “... Well, as long as you’re fine, that’s what matters. What the hell were you doing out here this late, though?”

“Just information gathering for future stuff, it’s no big deal.”

Akira sighed and leaned against Ryuji slightly, and it was only then that Ryuji noticed that Akira’s face wasn’t just red from the street lighting.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Did something happen?” he asked worriedly.

Akira laughed softly, leaning over to press a kiss to Ryuji’s cheek. “You’re too sweet. I’m fine, don't worry.”

Ryuji’s brows furrowed as he caught the faint scent of something familiar on Akira’s breath, his heart dropping when the scent clicked with faint memories in the back of his mind that he’d rather not remember.

“Akira… were you _drinking?_ ”

“Shhh,” Akira put a finger to Ryuji’s lips. “Please don’t make that face, darling. It wasn’t for any bad reasons, I promise.”

Ryuji blushed, refusing to let himself get distracted by the pet name. “Then what the hell sort of  _reasons_ were they?”

“Well sometimes, when you’re working with adults, you have to show that you’re on their level,” Akira responded as he looped an arm through Ryuji’s and started leisurely walking with him towards the train station. “I promise, I’m fine--just a little bit tipsy, but nowhere near as bad as some of the other years.”

Ryuji let out an irritated sigh. “ _Akira_ ….”

“Shhhhshhshhshh,” Akira covered Ryuji’s mouth with his hand. “No more getting mad. I’m fine, I’m okay, all’s right in the world.”

Ryuji couldn’t help but snort in amusement despite his lingering irritation, moving Akira’s hand off of his mouth so he could say, “I don’t think you being  _drunk_ is _fine_.”

“ _Tipsy_ ,” Akira corrected with a grin, giggling to himself as he added, “If I was drunk, I’d be throwing up all over your shoes. There’s a big difference.”

“Gross, man. I’m guessing you’ve done that before, though.”

“Ohya nearly killed me,” Akira replied with another laugh. “And then Lala nearly killed us both.”

Ryuji frowned. “Wait, Ohya? Like, that reporter lady we met back when we were trying to talk to Yusuke?”

Akira grinned and kissed Ryuji’s cheek. “You’re so smart--have I mentioned that?”

Ryuji blushed and rolled his eyes. “What, for remembering someone’s name? Please. Anyone with half a brain could remember a name.”

“Shh, no putting my boyfriend down, I won’t allow it.”

“Well at least you’re a pretty happy drunk,” Ryuji muttered.

“ _Tipsy_ ,” Akira corrected insistently. “I can still think straight, everything’s just… happier. Quieter.”

Ryuji frowned. “Quieter?”

Akira hummed as he leaned his head against Ryuji’s shoulder. “Having so many years worth of memories crammed into your head doesn’t leave much room for silence; my mind always has to stay active, otherwise I won’t be able to keep up with when and where I am.”

“Oh….”

Akira pressed another kiss to Ryuji’s cheek. “No sad faces--I’m okay, I’ve learned to deal with it. Besides, I don’t need to drink to reach that level of peace and quiet anymore; not when I have you.” He hugged Ryuji’s arm with a smile. “Never in my life have I felt more happy and more at peace than when you’re kissing me, or hugging me, or even just looking at me with that smile of yours that could outshine the sun.”

Ryuji’s face felt like it was on fire, even as he shook his head in fond amusement. “You’re such a sap--but… I’m glad. I wanna do everything I can to help you.”

“And you do,” Akira agreed, before giggling and adding, “Who needs alcohol when I can get drunk off of my love for you?”

Ryuji groaned and rolled his eyes skywards, pointedly ignoring the way the corners of his lips twitched in a repressed smile. “Remind me to never let you drink again if you’re gonna make cheesy comments like that.”

Akira laughed and pulled Ryuji to a stop as he leaned over to press a kiss to Ryuji’s lips, only to pout as Ryuji blocked their lips from connecting with his hand.

“Nope, not happening--your breath smells like shit, dude; you’re not putting your lips near my mouth until you get rid of that alcohol breath.” Ryuji frowned as he added, “How much did you even drink??”

“About a full glass of whiskey in total,” Akira replied with a shrug. “Ohya let me finish off two of her glasses after we finished our business discussion; I wasn’t going to back down and say no.”

“ _Jesus_ dude.” Ryuji eyed him in a mixture of concern and surprise. “I don’t think I’d be able to handle even one sip of that crap, let alone a full glass.”

Akira laughed. “That’s for the best, kids shouldn’t be drinking alcohol anyway.”

Though Ryuji knew Akira meant no harm, he couldn’t help but bristle a bit at that. “I’m not a _kid_ ,” he responded with a huff. “Besides, you’re the same age as me.”

“Yeah, _physically_ at least--but being stuck as a teenager sucks.” Akira made a face. “Anyone that talks about wanting ‘eternal youth’ doesn’t know what they’re signing themselves up for--I’m mentally old enough to be in a senior home, and I still have to put up with doing homework and taking exams, I can’t stay out late, I can’t buy my own drinks… where’s the justice?”

Ryuji couldn’t help but crack an amused smile at that. “Alright _old man_ , enough griping--I think it’s way past your bedtime, don’cha think? C’mon, let’s hurry it up and go home already.”

Akira’s lips quirked upward into a grin, giggling to himself as a thought came to him. “Hey, hey Ryuji.”

Ryuji raised an eyebrow. “What…?”

“If I’m an old man, that means you’re _dating_ an old man.”

“... Akira, for the love of god--”

Akira could barely talk through his giggles, especially as he saw Ryuji struggling to keep a straight face. “Ryuji, Ryuji _I could be your sugar daddy._ ”

“ _Jesus christ_ \--”

Ryuji finally caved and burst out laughing, and Akira beamed, obviously pleased by the sight.

“God I love hearing you laugh,” Akira hugged Ryuji’s arm and nuzzled against him. “It’s one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.”

Ryuji took a second to catch his breath as he shook his head slightly, soft chuckles still slipping out as he grinned. “Nah, it’s nowhere near as beautiful as the sound of your laugh.”

The sappy reply was worth Ryuji’s embarrassment as he watched Akira’s expression shift to surprise, the blush on his already-flushed face darkening heavily as he quickly dropped his gaze in embarrassment with a wobbly smile on his face.

It was both sweet and sad to see how much even just a simple compliment could still affect him.

Ryuji gently pulled his arm out of Akira’s hold so he could wrap it around Akira’s shoulders instead, pulling his flustered boyfriend close, and he grinned as Akira immediately melted against his side with a content sigh.

“Seriously, let’s start heading home--you’ve gotta text Futaba to let her and Mona know that you’re alright, too.”

Akira nodded against him as they walked, trusting Ryuji to lead the way as he felt the effects of the alcohol combined with Ryuji’s closeness beginning to set in.

Ryuji rolled his eyes in fond amusement as Akira immediately fell asleep against him as soon as they were seated on the train, taking out his phone to text Futaba in Akira’s stead and letting her and Morgana know that Akira was safe and that they were on their way home.

It was only after walking a half-asleep Akira back to LeBlanc and crashing with him in bed, the two of them dozing off in a comfortable heap, that Ryuji belatedly realized Akira had never told him what sort of information he’d spent the night trying to gather.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait on this chapter! I was trying to get a head start on writing the next chapter since it's going to be a really long one, but I ended up losing track of time and not making as much headway as I would've liked;;
> 
> So I decided if I'm going to put this chapter up before the next one is finished anyway, I might as well post it today in honor of my friend Death's birthday! Go check out her fics, her AO3 name is Loverofchimkem! ^^
> 
> Death, sorry I didn't have a more lighthearted chapter to post lmao but I hope you enjoy the chapter regardless and I hope you had a great birthday! <3

Everyone, even Ryuji, was admittedly nervous about pushing off Medjed’s threat until literally the night before the deadline.

Except, of course, for Akira and Futaba.

Morgana paced on Futaba’s bed while Akira pulled his calendar up on his phone, the sound of Futaba rapidly typing away while snickering quietly to herself providing enough of a white noise for Akira to focus on his own thoughts.

It was currently August 21st, the day before Medjed had announced that they would follow up on their threats. Futaba had already had the past few weeks to grow accustomed to being around the rest of the Phantom Thieves, both inside and outside of the Metaverse, so their last week of summer vacation could instead be used to focus on finishing Okumura’s palace.

They were already close enough to the end that it would take… about three more days to reach the treasure, by Akira’s estimate, which left them with exactly a week of leeway in case of anything.

Akira’s self-imposed deadline for delivering the calling card was August 31st--and he wanted to give Futaba tomorrow to recover and the rest of the group the day to celebrate one victory, so he figured that they could resume their palace runs the day after. If they continued moving at his estimated pacing, they could make palace runs on August 23rd, August 26th, and August 29th, giving them two days in between each run to rest and gather any necessary medicine or supplies; then Haru could deliver the calling card on August 31st as planned, and they could steal Okumura’s treasure on September 1st.

Hopefully, if everything worked out well, the group could celebrate another successful mission on their trip to Hawaii.

(Well, except for Futaba and Morgana, but Akira would treat them to a special celebration when he got back so they didn’t feel too left out.)

The only thing that Akira couldn’t predict was when (and not if, _when_ ) Shido would send Akechi to try and kill him.

The problem with rearranging the timeline like this was that he had hardly anything to go off of in order to figure out what was going to happen next: normally, Akechi would meet up with them at the cultural festival after giving some time for the Phantom Thieves’ popularity and morale to both plummet--but now not only were they tackling Okumura’s palace while their popularity was still building up to its zenith, but (if everything went right, which Akira was going to make damn sure it did) there would be nothing to make their popularity tank, which meant that Akechi wouldn’t have any opening for squeezing himself into their group and trying to blackmail them.

Not to mention how Akechi was growing closer and closer to him, just as Akira had hoped. Akira knew that would have to change _something_ ; though what exactly it would change, he wasn’t sure.

So there were essentially two potential paths that Shido could take: either he would try and use someone else in place of Okumura, in order to attempt to manipulate the Phantom Thieves just like usual so he could pin someone’s death on them and ruin their public standing; or he would just send Akechi after them as normal, just with a different story to try and win them over.

(Akira personally hoped it was the latter and not the former. After a hundred years, he was getting very tired of going through people’s palaces; the last thing he wanted was to have to deal with the danger of exploring a brand new palace, especially not when this timeline was going so well.)

The only problem with it being the latter was that Sae’s palace usually didn’t start manifesting until late October, as far as Akira could remember--which either meant that Akechi was going to be coming to them in September and something would happen to accelerate the manifestation of Sae’s palace in the meantime, or Akechi would come to them in October like normal and they would have a month’s reprieve in between.

Somehow, Akira highly doubted the latter option would be the case.

Akira was hardly even aware of just how much time passed as his mind ran circles around itself, trying to come up with answers that he didn’t have--he was only pulled from his thoughts when he heard Futaba speak and saw her move.

“I’m doooooone!”

Morgana jerked out of his sleep, uncurling from where he’d dozed off next to Akira. “Wh-- what’s up? Something happened?”

Futaba glanced back at them with a smile. “It’s finished.”

“Finished?” Morgana repeated in confusion, still half-asleep. “What is?”

“Medjed, duh.”

Morgana’s eyes widened, suddenly looking much more awake. “You really took care of Medjed? In just one night??”

“Of course I did! Were you doubting me?” Futaba grinned, spinning her chair around to face Akira as she added, “ _You_ had faith in me, right Akira?”

“I did,” Akira replied honestly, a smile on his face as he reached out and gave Futaba a pat on the head. “Good job. You really saved us all.”

“Ehehe~” Futaba grinned, obviously pleased by the praise. “That’s the power of a true hacker! Those amateurs didn’t stand a chance.”

Futaba suddenly wobbled in her seat, her eyelids drooping, and Akira stood up off the bed and moved in time to catch Futaba as she fell forward off her chair.

“Futaba?!” Morgana exclaimed, tensing up in worry. “Futaba, what’s--”

“She’s sleeping,” Akira quietly reassured the cat, smiling softly as he looked down at the peacefully sleeping girl leaning against him. “She’s tired. Let’s leave her to rest.”

Morgana let out a quiet, relieved sigh and nodded in agreement, hopping off the bed so that Akira could lay Futaba down and tuck her in.

Once Morgana was back in his bag, Akira quietly left the room, letting Sojiro know that he was heading back to the cafe and that Futaba was asleep before he left the house and pulled out his phone.

< **Futaba did it.**  
< **She took down Medjed.**  
< **Let’s gather at LeBlanc tomorrow to watch the announcement on the news.**

With his messages sent to the group chat, Akira pocketed his phone and stifled a yawn behind his hand as he made his way back home to get some rest.

* * *

Ryuji knew right away, just from looking at his face, that Akira was going to try and pull something reckless or self-sacrificial as soon as they gathered to steal Okumura's treasure.

It didn't help that Akira had gone back to dodging his questions and refusing to tell him anything about what would be happening in Okumura's palace.

So Ryuji made sure to keep a close eye on him, even through the fight against Okumura's shadow, and his diligence paid off when he noticed Akira lingering behind as everyone else rushed to escape the collapsing palace.

“Joker, what are you doing? We have to go!”

Ryuji's exclamation caught the attention of the rest of the team, who paused to look back at Akira worriedly.

“I'll meet you guys outside, just go.”

“But Joker--" Ann started, before being cut off as another large tremor shook the collapsing palace.

“ _Go!_ ”

The group hesitated, obviously torn, before Makoto took the lead and ushered everyone out.

Everyone except one person.

Akira glanced at Ryuji with a frown. “Skull, you need to--"

“Don't gimme that bullcrap, you and I both know damn well I'm not leaving you here by yourself.”

Akira sighed, though there was the slightest hint of a smile on his face as he turned back around.

“Thank you,” Akira murmured, before frowning and narrowing his eyes as he turned back to face Okumura’s shadow, who was still kneeling on the ground and sobbing.

Akira moved towards the shadow, his body tense, and Ryuji tensed up in response as he watched Akira reach for his mask.

“Joker, what--”

“ _Decarabia!_ ”

Everything that happened next went too quickly for Ryuji to even follow: Akira’s Persona appeared seconds before a golden barrier appeared around Okumura’s shadow, a gunshot ringing out at the same time, and the sound of the ricochet of the bullet off the barrier snapped Ryuji out of his shocked state as he cursed and pulled off his mask.

“ _Seiten Taisei!_ ”

The Ziodyne that Ryuji’s Persona shot out lit up the shadows where the assailant was hiding, revealing a young man with a black and purple-striped outfit, a black cape flowing behind him and a black mask covering half of his face.

Ryuji physically felt his blood beginning to boil as he realized who the person was.

“Skull!”

Akira’s voice forced Ryuji’s focus to shift over to his leader, hearing the wordless command in his tone as he reluctantly backed down.

As much as he would love to kick that murderous detective bastard’s ass, there were more important things to do right now.

Ryuji moved over to Okumura’s shadow while Akira pulled out his gun, tuning out the gunshots being fired back and forth as he crouched down in front of the shadow and focused on snapping him out of his cowering.

“If you don’t wanna die, then get the hell out of here and return to your real self!”

Ryuji scowled as the shadow didn’t respond, taking a breath to try and calm himself (which didn't work, but hey, at least he made an attempt) before trying a different approach.

“Are you really gonna let yourself die before making things up to Haru? She went through all this shit just to try and bring back the father she knows ‘n’ loves--are you gonna just sit here wallowing, or are you gonna _change_ and be better?”

Finally, Okumura’s shadow lifted his head.

“... You’re right. I have to change, I have to be the father Haru deserves… I can’t die here.”

Ryuji let out a relieved sigh as Okumura’s shadow began fading away, though he didn’t relax fully until Okumura’s shadow was completely--and safely--gone.

“Joker!” Ryuji called out, rising back to his feet.

Akira didn’t respond, and it was quickly apparent why as Ryuji glanced over at him: he had a manic look in his eyes as he shot at the detective, dodging the bullets that were fired back at him while sneering mockingly.

It was unsettling, but more importantly, they _didn’t have time for this_.

“ _Joker_ _!_ ” Ryuji called out once more, this time rushing over to Akira and grabbing his arm. “Joker, we have to go, _now_ _!_ ”

Akira jerked at the touch and whirled, his gun pointed and his finger on the trigger, before relaxing and lowering his arm as he saw Ryuji, his gaze clearing slightly.

“Okumura’s shadow?”

“He’s gone, now _let’s go!_ ”

To accentuate his point, Ryuji pulled Akira out of the way of some falling debris, which finally seemed to pull Akira back down to Earth as the two of them rushed out of the collapsing palace.

* * *

It was by the skin of their teeth that the pair managed to make it out of the palace in one piece, and they were immediately bombarded by the angry shouting and worried remarks of their teammates.

Akira weakly put a hand up to silence everyone, feeling drained now that his adrenaline was all gone, and spoke once he had everyone’s attention. “I’m sorry for worrying you all, but I had to stay behind. The black masked man was there.”

There were a few sharp breaths and widened eyes at that, and Haru was the only one that expressed confusion instead of surprise as she asked, “Black masked man?”

“Oh right, we haven’t had the chance to mention him to you,” Morgana started, hopping up onto a nearby ledge as he spoke. “There’s apparently another person who can travel into the Metaverse besides us--all we know about him is that he wears a black mask, and that he’s responsible for the mental shutdowns. If he was there, then that means….”

Haru’s eyes widened, her hands moving up to cover her mouth. “Father--”

“He’s fine, don’t worry,” Ryuji quickly assured her. “I saw his shadow return to himself. He’ll be alright.”

Haru let out a sigh, her shoulders sagging in relief as she shot him a small smile. “Thank you, Ryuji.” She turned her attention over to Akira and added, “And thank you, Akira. You both stayed to protect him, didn’t you?”

Ryuji waved off her thanks with a sheepish grin. “Nah, I didn’t do much--Akira’s the one that stopped that bastard from shooting your dad’s shadow.”

Akira shrugged weakly as everyone turned their attention to him. “I caught sight of him hiding while we were fighting Okumura’s shadow. I figured he was going to take advantage of the palace collapsing to kill his shadow while our backs were turned.”

“That’s our leader for you!” Morgana praised.

“Wait, then why did you stay with him, Ryuji?” Ann questioned. “Don’t tell me you noticed the masked man too?”

“No way, I had no clue,” Ryuji replied honestly with a laugh. “I just stayed to make sure Akira got out alright.”

“I’m glad he did,” Akira added, taking Ryuji’s hand and smiling as he blushed in response. “He guarded Okumura’s shadow while I went after the masked man.”

“Did you catch him?” Makoto asked with a frown. “Or at least get a glimpse of who he might be?”

Akira’s expression fell as he let out a sigh. “No, but at this point I’m just glad that I was able to stop him from causing another mental shutdown.”

Yusuke nodded. “I agree, our priority was to successfully change Okumura’s heart. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t discover the identity of the masked man, but we can still hope that Okumura will confess to the man’s identity once he has his change of heart.”

“Oh, that’s true!” Ann exclaimed. “Then does that mean the masked man was there to try and stop him from saying anything…?”

“It’s a possibility,” Makoto responded with a frown.

Futaba yawned and leaned against Akira, smiling as Akira gave her head a pat in response. “I’m tired. Can we talk about all this serious stuff tomorrow?”

“Futaba’s right,” Akira agreed. “It’s late; let’s go home and get some rest, and we can talk more tomorrow.”

“Um… about my father,” Haru started slowly, glancing at everyone nervously. “Is there anything in particular that I should watch for, or…?”

“When we changed Madarame’s heart, he became a bit more withdrawn for a few days prior to his press conference,” Yusuke supplied. “I assume it will be the same for your father, or similar.”

“I see….” Haru felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Makoto giving her a reassuring smile.

“Everything will be fine, but if there’s anything you’re ever worried about, you can always talk to us.”

Haru’s expression relaxed in gratitude. “... Okay. Thank you.”

Ryuji glanced over at Akira, smiling as he saw the look of peaceful contentment on his face as the rest of the group surrounded Haru, offering her support and encouragement.

He gently tugged Akira forward, laughing softly at his surprised expression. “You don’t gotta just watch, y’know,” Ryuji said quietly. “You helped bring us all together, _leader_ , so go join in on the fun!” With a grin, he pushed Akira forward, laughing loudly as he stumbled into the group of girls, who laughed as well and pulled him in for an impromptu hug before squealing as Ryuji threw himself in as well.

Yusuke was content to stand aside, his sketchbook in hand as his hand flew across the page, immortalizing the scene of his friends and teammates in one giant pile of affectionate hugs, basking in their victory over both Okumura and the black masked man.

* * *

(None of them noticed the pair of eyes watching them from a distance.)

* * *

To Akira's slight disappointment, the group couldn’t gather at Destinyland to watch Okumura’s press conference like they had in most other timelines--but they were content to do something a bit more simple upon Ann’s suggestion as they went out to eat crepes and watch the conference on one of the big outdoor screens, figuring that they could have their official celebration some other time.

Akira hummed in contentment around a bite of his crepe, glancing over at Ryuji on his left and smirking as he reached out to swipe some cream off of the corner of Ryuji’s mouth with his thumb, thoroughly enjoying how Ryuji’s face flooded with color as he licked the cream off of his finger.

There was a quiet giggle from his right, and Akira turned to glance at Haru, his smirk softening into a smile as she smiled back at him.

“Sorry, I hope I wasn’t being rude--you two are just very cute together.”

“They are, aren’t they?” Ann leaned over with a teasing grin. “A sweet couple of lovebirds~”

“Sh-shut up!” Ryuji glared weakly at Ann, his face flushed.

“They are a very aesthetically pleasing couple,” Yusuke added with an approving nod, and Akira’s smile widened as he leaned over to look at Yusuke’s sketchbook to find a drawing of himself watching Ryuji with a soft expression as he ate his crepe.

“Inariiiii!” Futaba wormed her way in between Yusuke and Akira. “The conference is starting and there’s too many people! Let me sit on your shoulders so I can see!”

Yusuke shot Futaba a flat look as the red-haired girl tugged on his shirt. “The screen is big enough for you to see without sitting on my shoulders.”

“IIIIInaaaaariiiiiiii! Stop hogging all the height to yourself!!”

Akira chuckled quietly as he watched Futaba pester Yusuke until he finally gave in, letting Akira take his sketchbook and pencil from him so he could lift Futaba up to sit on his shoulders, much to the amusement of the rest of the team--especially as he immediately took his sketchbook and pencil back from Akira, acting like there wasn’t a small fifteen year old perched on top of him as he resumed his drawing.

“Maximum height level achieved!” Futaba whooped, holding on to Yusuke’s head with her free hand as she raised her other hand into the air, holding her crepe up like a scepter. “Bow down before your new god, peasants!”

Makoto tried and failed to keep the smile off of her face as she gently chided, “Futaba, keep your voice down; we don’t want to attract too much attention.”

“Fiiiine.” Futaba sighed, plopping her chin down on top of Yusuke’s head.

She was about to take a bite of her crepe when she heard Yusuke’s stomach growling, the artist not even reacting to the sound as he continued drawing with a single-minded focus, and Futaba let out another sigh as she shook her head and lowered the crepe in her hand down in front of Yusuke’s mouth.

“As a reward for helping your new god, peasant, I present to you this--” Futaba cut off her overdramatic speech with a squeak as Yusuke absentmindedly took a bite of the crepe in front of him, his gaze still never leaving his sketchbook.

In her haste to look away from Yusuke in embarrassment, Futaba made the mistake of glancing in Akira’s direction, her blush darkening as she caught sight of Akira eyeing her with a knowing smirk.

“Look, the conference is starting!”

Ann’s exclamation pulled everyone’s attention over to the giant screen (much to Futaba’s relief), and the group watched as Okumura walked across the stage and over to the podium, standing before a plethora of microphones with a weary expression on his face.

“Father….” Haru murmured, briefly pulling her gaze away from the screen as she felt Makoto’s hand on one of her shoulders and Akira’s hand on the other, prompting a small, grateful smile as she marginally relaxed.

“ _Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to gather here,_ ” Okumura began. “ _Today, I’d like to elaborate upon the whole truth behind my company’s labor situation._ ”

There was a pause as cameras went off, their flashes further illuminating the lines of stress and guilt on Okumura’s face as he continued speaking. “ _How my employees were forced to work under severe conditions, how… lax we were with sanitation… and how my corporation acted as a whole to… cover up every facet of this scandal. For all of this, I wholeheartedly apologize._ ”

Akira could see Haru tearing up out of the corner of his eye in response to hearing her father’s choked-up apology and watching him bow to everyone, and he gave her shoulder another gentle, reassuring squeeze, not even needing to look to know that Makoto was offering the same silent support on Haru’s other side.

“ _So are you saying all of this was done under your orders?_ ”

Okumura straightened up at the journalist’s question, closing his eyes and nodding. “ _... Yes. I… am solely responsible…._ ”

“ _We heard that dozens of your employees were forced to resign due to mysterious illness. Furthermore, these happened to be officials who stood against your proposal for overseas expansion. The same thing also happened to executives at competing companies who were looking to expand abroad. Is all of this true?_ ”

“ _Yes,_ ” Okumura answered without hesitance.

“ _Was it all coincidence?_ ” When Okumura gave no response other than lowering his gaze, the journalist pressed on. “ _We’d like some answers._ ”

“ _About that…. I have a critical piece of information to announce here today._ ”

The group as a whole tensed up in anticipation, Morgana hopping up out of Akira’s bag and settling onto his shoulder for a better view as they held their breath.

“ _I--_ ”

The sound of a phone going off caused Okumura to pause as he pulled the device out of his pocket, the color draining from his face as he looked down at it. “ _I… apologize, this is-- I will return shortly._ ”

Okumura ignored the startled shouts and questions from the journalists as he stormed off stage, the broadcast continuing to run on the television screen despite Okumura’s retreat.

“… I hope father is okay….”

Everyone pulled their attention away from the screen to glance over at Haru, who was wringing her hands nervously.

“He just got a phone call, it prolly ain’t nothing important,” Ryuji said, trying to keep his tone light to cheer Haru up.

“I hope so….”

When Okumura returned, his expression was cold, yet there was no hiding the panic in his gaze as he faced the press and firmly said, “ _I will no longer be answering any questions. I apologize, and thank you for your time,_ ” before walking off stage once more.

“And just when he was going to say who the black masked man was….” Ann sighed. “Does this mean we’re back to square one, then?”

Futaba frowned, slumping forward against Yusuke with a drawn-out sigh of her own. “I guess so.”

Yusuke handed his sketchbook and pencil off to Makoto, who distractedly took them and held them for him as he lifted Futaba off of his shoulders while speaking. “If the press conference is over, then perhaps we should go our separate ways for the night. We can regroup tomorrow after school to figure out what our next move should be.”

“... I suppose,” Makoto responded with a frown, handing the sketchbook and pencil back to the artist once his hands were free. “Though something doesn’t feel quite right about all of this….”

“Akira?”

Everyone turned their attention over to Akira at the sound of Morgana’s inquisitive voice, their leader’s brows furrowed in thought.

“This isn’t right….” Akira murmured. “There’s something--”

He caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye, and all of the color immediately drained from his face as the pieces fell into place in his mind.

It was hard to make out against the light color of Haru’s hair, but on the side of her head….

Morgana yelped, nearly thrown off of Akira’s shoulder as he suddenly grabbed Haru’s wrist and started briskly walking away, his hands shaking as he said, “We need to find somewhere to go inside. **_Now_**.”

“Wh-- A-Akira-kun, what’s wrong?” Haru struggled to keep up with Akira, the rest of the team rushing after them.

Akira’s lips remained pressed together in a thin line, his heart pounding in his ears as his gaze shot around nervously, and he only marginally relaxed once they all made it safely into a nearby convenience store.

“Akira, what the  _hell’s_ going on?” Ryuji asked, looking the most shaken out of the group aside from Akira himself--and that was only because he knew that something was really, _really_ wrong if Akira was freaking out like this.

“There was a targeting laser aimed at Haru,” Akira replied bluntly, gesturing for the group to keep quiet as they reacted with a mixture of shock and fear. “Judging from the angle, whoever was aiming at Haru was probably on the roof of one of the nearby buildings--but we should be out of their range in here.”

Haru’s legs gave out on her, Ryuji and Makoto both catching her before she could hit the ground. “I… someone tried to…?”

“But why?” Ann’s voice was hoarse with restrained emotion as she spoke quietly, her expression a cross between fearful and outraged. “Why would someone do something like this?”

“To silence Okumura.”

All eyes turned back to look at Akira, whose expression was cold as he narrowed his eyes, all traces of his previous fear pushed aside in favor of focusing on being the calm, composed leader that his group needed him to be. “We stopped the black masked man from killing Okumura’s shadow, so they needed some other way to keep Okumura quiet.”

“That makes sense,” Yusuke replied with a nod, a grim frown on his face. “If this is someone heartless enough to cause mental shutdowns, then we can assume that they wouldn’t be above threatening the life of someone else outside the Metaverse as well.”

Ryuji frowned. “But wait, why the hell would they target Haru?? If they’re that determined to keep Okumura from talking, wouldn’t it’ve made more sense for them to go after him instead?”

“That would bring the risk of leaving behind evidence that could be traced back to them,” Makoto pointed out, glancing at Haru warily as she added, “But….”

“I don’t think they were really intending on killing Haru.”

The words felt harsh on Akira’s tongue, and he could see some members of the group flinch in response--Futaba in particular was shaking as she pressed against his side, and he moved a hand to pet her hair in a silent apology as he continued to speak.

“Think about it from their perspective: what’s a surefire way to keep someone from speaking without leaving any evidence of your involvement? Target and threaten the life of someone important to the person you want to silence--in this case, Haru.” Akira let out an irritated breath. “I should have figured it out as soon as Okumura got that phone call; the only reason the black masked man was in Okumura’s palace to begin with was because it was that important to them for him to be silenced--so of course they would have a backup plan to make sure he wouldn’t reveal their identity.”

“So… what, you mean they hired some hitman to pretend to target Haru, so Okumura would be scared into keeping quiet?” Ryuji asked with a frustrated frown. “Even if he got a phone call, how would Okumura even know the threat was real, though?”

“They probably sent him a picture of Haru with the targeting laser aimed at her,” Makoto responded, a cold rage slowly beginning to take the place of her previous fear. "Akira's right, the laser was probably just for show to scare Okumura; a real sniper doesn't need to use one to hit their target."

“We need to lay low for a while,” Morgana said, his tone grim as he glanced at each person in the group. “Haru, try and avoid being alone as best as you can, at least until this whole situation dies down--even if it's just a threat and they don't intend to do anything, we still shouldn't take any chances. As for the rest of us… we should avoid meeting up like this again. If we absolutely need to discuss anything in person, we should do it in Akira’s bedroom, where no one can see us.”

Akira nodded in agreement. “Gathering in a big group like this draws too much attention.” Another thought occurred to Akira, and he added, “We have the trip coming up to Hawaii--Makoto, Haru, why don’t you two see if you can volunteer to go as chaperones? The police are going to be coming to question the teachers from what I’ve heard, so I’m sure they could use some volunteers for the trip anyway.”

“Oh yeah, that’s a great idea!” Ann added. “There’s no way they can threaten Haru if she’s out of the country, right?”

“That… wouldn’t be too bad of an idea,” Makoto agreed, before glancing at Haru. “What do you think?”

Haru smiled weakly. “I think a trip to Hawaii sounds lovely… and I’m sure it would put my father’s mind at ease as well.”

Akira nodded in approval. “By the time we return, hopefully things with your father will have settled down.”

“If that’s decided, then it would probably be best if we went our separate ways for the night,” Yusuke said, and the group nodded in agreement as they split up and exited the convenience store in small groups--Yusuke walked Ann to her train, Haru called for a car to pick up her and Makoto, and Akira and Ryuji brought Futaba home, Morgana staying the night with the shaken girl as Akira and Ryuji made their way to LeBlanc.

As soon as they were inside, Akira locked the door before finally letting his facade crumble as he collapsed against Ryuji, his body shaking.

“I almost… we almost… it’s all my fault, I’m changing too many things--Haru almost _died_ because I was too overconfident, I didn’t even _think_ about that person wanting to keep Okumura quiet, I almost got Haru _killed_ \--”

“A-Akira, Akira _calm down!_ ” Ryuji wrapped his arms around Akira, holding him close. “Haru’s okay, everyone’s okay--it ain’t your fault, alright? Hell, you’re the one that _saved_ her; none of us even noticed that someone was aiming at her.”

“But--”

Ryuji cut Akira off with a kiss, his expression serious as he pulled back and looked Akira in the eye. “Listen to me: _It. Ain’t. Your. Fault._ It don’t matter what _almost_ happened or what _could’ve_ happened--all that matters is what _did_ happen, and what _did_ happen is you pulled her outta any potential danger she was in and brought her somewhere safe. She’s heading home now--safe ‘n’ sound--thanks to you.”

As if hearing their conversation, both of their phones buzzed, and Ryuji pulled his out to open the group chat, smiling as he showed it to Akira and said, “See? Haru’s already home, she’s _fine_.”

Akira relaxed marginally as he read the text, weakly pulling out his own phone to respond that he was glad to hear that she made it home safely before sighing as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“Things are going to get a lot more dangerous, Ryuji….” Akira leaned against his boyfriend and closed his eyes, drawing comfort from the arms wrapped around his waist, anchoring him and preventing his mind from drowning in a sea of anxious thoughts and doubts. “Before, I could guarantee everything that would happen--but now… now I’m not so sure. This was the first thing that’s happened so far that took me completely by surprise.”

“Dude, I hate to say it, but that’s _normal_ ,” Ryuji responded, giving Akira a smile when he opened his eyes and looked at him in surprise. “None of us know what’s gonna happen; that’s just how life is. So it’s _okay_ if you don’t know everything that’s gonna happen anymore--we’ll figure it out and get through it together.”

“Oh….” Akira laughed weakly. “I… guess you’re right, huh. I’ve just gotten so used to knowing what’s going to happen that I forgot that that’s not normal.” He tightened his grip on Ryuji’s shirt as he buried his face in the crook of Ryuji’s neck, his voice quiet as he admitted, “It’s terrifying, not knowing what could happen. Anything could go wrong; all it would take is one thing to ruin this perfect timeline, and then….”

Ryuji hugged Akira tightly, his expression determined.

“Just ‘cuz we don’t know what’s gonna happen, doesn’t mean we’re gonna sit around and  _let_ something bad happen. We’ll get through this, I swear.”

Akira let out a shaky breath as he returned Ryuji’s hug, nodding weakly against him.

“... You’re right.”

No matter how difficult things got from here on out, Akira just had to keep reminding himself that everything would be alright in the end--Ryuji had his back, the rest of their friends had his back, so many other people that he was reforming his bonds with all had his back….

He didn’t have to shoulder the weight of shaping their future all on his own anymore.

And come hell or high water, Akira would get through this year with everyone by his side--safe, alive, and well.

_Alright, Shido… if this was your declaration of war, then I’m ready for whatever you’ve got._


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 15k... this chapter is 15k words and I only have myself to blame, why did I think it would be a good idea to shove the entire Hawaii trip into one chapter--
> 
> (Also why did I think it would be a good idea to try and include all of the confidants present during the Hawaii trip when I can't even write any of them sdfkj I hope I was able to write everyone at least somewhat decently;;;)

Tensions were high for the next week as the group did their best to avoid being seen together while still keeping tabs on Haru, but thankfully the only change of note was the Phantom Thieves’ skyrocketing popularity, which was even more overwhelming than Akira could remember it being in any other timeline.

He supposed taking down two big names like Medjed and Okumura within a week of one another would make anyone instantaneously popular, though--and it worked in their favor as well, as Akira noticed when he took a trip down further into Mementos with just him and Morgana to see how many more floors had opened up to them.

(Akira was trying to be conscious of involving Morgana more, putting a stop to any of his feelings of inadequacy before they could fester into anything that would result in a blowup between him and the rest of the team. After all, things were going well, and the last thing he wanted was Morgana storming off to do god-knows what and putting himself in danger.)

Before Akira knew it, it was time to leave for their three day trip to Hawaii, and he was never more grateful for a vacation in his life after the stress that he and the rest of the team had to go through because of his decisions.

Akira didn’t bother properly sleeping that night despite Morgana’s pestering, instead letting his consciousness fade into the Velvet Room with practiced ease as he began making preparations for what would be awaiting them once they returned from Hawaii.

He wasn’t going to delude himself into thinking that Shido and Akechi wouldn’t make some sort of move after what happened at Okumura’s press conference (which Akira was almost positive was entirely Shido’s doing, since--aside from dealing with Akira himself--threatening and killing people outside of the Metaverse wasn’t Akechi’s modus operandi), though he kept that knowledge to himself.

No sense in worrying his teammates any more than they already were with Haru’s situation, after all.

Akira’s exhaustion the next morning was easily pushed aside after a cup of coffee and the sound of Ryuji’s equally-drowsy voice in his ear as he gave him a wake-up call, making sure that he would have enough time to make it to the airport without having to rush. After promising to Sojiro that he would behave himself and thanking him for looking after Morgana (who was disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to come with him, though he was easily appeased by the promise of a souvenir and taking him out for fancy sushi as soon as he got home to make it up to him), Akira rolled his luggage out of LeBlanc and began making his way to the train station, looking forward to a nice, long, peaceful six hour rest on the plane ride to Hawaii.

* * *

Or at least, that was the plan until Akira’s brain decided to remind him in excruciating detail of all one million and one ways that a plane ride could go horribly wrong.

Flying on a private jet was one thing--Akira was personally paying someone to assure his (and Ryuji’s) safe passage from point A to point B and back.

This, however, was completely out of his control, and what if Shido had men stationed at the airport looking for them, or what if he hired someone to hijack the plane, or what if Akechi killed the pilot’s shadow and the pilot had a mental shutdown mid-flight, or--

“Akira, dude, _breathe_.”

Akira didn’t even realize that he was beginning to panic until Ryuji’s hand was gripping his own and his voice was speaking quietly in his ear, distracting him enough to pull his mind back down to Earth.

“You’re fine, everything’s fine,” Ryuji murmured, lacing their fingers together and letting out a relieved sigh when Akira relaxed slightly and leaned against him.

“... Sorry. Overthinking stuff,” Akira said after a moment, giving Ryuji’s hand a grateful squeeze. “Thanks.”

“No problem. You gonna be fine on the plane?”

Akira shrugged weakly. “We’ll find out?”

Makoto looked over at Akira in concern, apparently catching the tail end of their conversation as she turned away from Haru and Ann. “You have a fear of planes?”

Her question caught Haru and Ann’s attention as well, and Akira felt himself growing embarrassed as he coughed into his free hand. “Well, not a _fear_ per-se, just… I suppose I’m just a bit on-edge from everything that’s happened recently, is all.”

Haru immediately nodded, her expression softening in understanding. “I know how you feel…. With everything that’s happened recently, it’s hard not to worry.”

“But everything’s been fine, and now we’re all going to go and have a great time together!” Ann encouraged with a smile.

“Exactly, we don’t gotta worry--we’re gonna get on the plane in a few minutes, and we’ll get to Hawaii in no time!”

“Actually Ryuji, the flight is over six hours long,” Makoto corrected with a small, amused smile.

“... For real?” Ryuji groaned. “Six whole hours?”

Akira chuckled. “You can just sleep on the flight.”

“Mm… yeah, but only if you’re sleeping too.” Ryuji grinned and ruffled Akira’s hair with enough force to make him bend over slightly, his glasses going askew. “Gotta make sure our leader gets through the flight in one piece, y’know?”

Akira blushed lightly as he straightened up and adjusted his glasses with a quiet, embarrassed huff. “I’ll be fine, I promise.” The _I’ve done this before_ was on the tip of his tongue, and he only just barely managed to keep it from slipping out between how distracted his mind was and how comfortable he felt with Ryuji by his side.

(He really had to tell the rest of his friends the truth soon; it was getting harder and harder to keep everything a secret--he was half sure by now that Morgana and Futaba both had suspicions about him, and Makoto probably did too knowing how sharp she was.)

The group was distracted by Mishima approaching them to let them know that they were going to start gathering near the boarding gate soon, and Ann was quick to stop the group before they could start gathering their things.

“Hey, before we take off--”

“You want to take a group shot?” Akira said, his phone already out and ready, and he couldn’t help but smile as Ann grinned.

“Yeah! You had the same idea too?”

“Might as well, to commemorate our first trip abroad together,” Akira responded, inwardly relaxing a bit more at the predictability of the moment--it was so much easier to stay calm when he knew exactly what to expect.

The group moved over to Akira, Haru pulling Makoto in close to her and Akira and positioning the confused girl with a quiet giggle so she knew where to look while Ann and Ryuji crowded around Akira’s other side, the five of them just barely able to fit in the frame of the picture as Akira lifted his phone and took the shot.

Akira barely had a chance to pull up the picture for the group to see before his phone pinged with a new text message.

> **Cute picture!!**  
> **Ryuji’s got crap in his eyes tho**

“Goddammit!” Ryuji wiped his eyes as the rest of the group laughed. “Stop spying on us, Futaba!”

> **Mwehehe~ Bet you’re surprised, huh?**

Akira smirked slightly.

< **Not really. I already knew you hacked my phone.**

> **Boooo. You’re no fun**  
> **Imma go bug Inari now, he gives better reactions anyway**  
> **Later nerds, safe flight!** **  
** > **Oh and bring me back souvenirs or I’ll haunt you forever kthxbye**

Akira chuckled quietly, his expression softening in amusement.

< **Will do, and please get some sleep at some point while we’re gone.**  
< **Otherwise you’ll have to deal with Morgana hounding you.**  
< **I speak from experience.**

> **I’ll keep that in mind, oh wise one**  
> **No promises tho**

Akira smiled as he turned off and pocketed his phone before grabbing the handle of his luggage as he saw people beginning to gather by the boarding gate.

“Everyone ready to go?”

There was a chorus of agreement from the rest of the group as they gathered their things, and Akira couldn’t help his smile widening as Ryuji swung an arm around his shoulders with a grin as they began walking towards the rest of the waiting students.

Akira had no reason to worry--everything was still going more or less the same as it always did, which meant that everything would be alright with the flight as well.

There was nothing to worry about.

Absolutely nothing at all.

* * *

Okay, scratch that, there were a lot of things to worry about.

Hearing the typical run-down of safety precautions before the flight took off didn’t exactly help ease Akira’s anxious mind, nor did the feeling of the plane jerking as it began to move down the runway.

Akira’s only saving grace was having Ryuji sitting right next to him--and though he was reluctant to bother Ryuji when he knew he was just being paranoid, he couldn’t help but feel relieved as Ryuji kept the arm of the seat between them up so that they could comfortably lean against one another.

(Or at least, as comfortably as they were going to get on a cramped airplane.)

One glance behind him showed Ann seated with two other classmates, while Makoto and Haru sat next to each other in another row--and none of them looked all that worried, which _should_ have eased his own nerves except it was just another reminder of how little they knew, and how truly blissful ignorance was.

Akira tensed at the slight vibrations of the plane and the uncomfortable pressure as the plane began lifting off, inwardly kicking himself for getting so worked up. He’d literally done this same exact flight dozens of times; he should be fast asleep without a single worry by now, especially with Ryuji sitting right next to him.

(This had always been one of his favorite parts in every timeline that he was friends with Ryuji, which was more often than not--it was an excuse for him to lean against Ryuji and pretend to be asleep, to pretend for a whole six hours like Ryuji returned his affections even while knowing in the back of his mind that his friend was just too sweet to push him off.)

(Ironic how now that he was actually in a relationship with Ryuji again, he was too tense to properly enjoy what should have been a relaxing moment between them.)

Akira was pulled from his thoughts as Ryuji took his hand in his own and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Dude, seriously, you've gotta calm down--everything’ll be fine, I promise.”

“You don’t know that, though,” Akira replied weakly. “What if--”

Ryuji moved his free hand to cover Akira’s mouth, feeling too embarrassed to outright kiss him while surrounded by so many other people in such a small space.

“C’mon, don't start with that. Just focus on something positive, okay?”

“... Mmhm.” Akira finally gave in and lightly leaned against Ryuji, trying to be mindful not to embarrass him too badly. “Okay, I’ll try.”

“Akira’s afraid of planes?” Mishima asked curiously, leaning over to look at Akira with a concerned expression.

Akira groaned quietly in embarrassment as Ryuji chuckled. “Well, something like that. I’m sure he’ll be fine once we get in the air, though.”

“Maybe he can ask one of the teachers if they have something that he could take to help him fall asleep,” Mishima suggested.

Ryuji frowned. “I mean, that’s not a bad idea….”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Akira insisted, even if he was anything but fine, before muttering to himself, “Unless Kawakami’s got a bottle of scotch on her, I doubt there’s anything she can give me to help.”

Mishima’s brows furrowed. “What was that?”

“Nothing!” Ryuji quickly exclaimed, covering Akira’s mouth and shooting him a look that grew more annoyed as Akira shrugged with an innocent expression.

Thankfully, Mishima let the matter drop in favor of putting his headphones on and closing his eyes, and Ryuji let out a sigh as he moved his hand off of Akira’s mouth.

“Never thought I’d see the day where _I’m_ watching what _you_ say.”

“I’m stressed and exhausted, I think losing a bit of my filter is justified,” Akira responded with a frown as he leaned more heavily against Ryuji’s side.

Ryuji frowned. “Rough night?”

“It’s… complicated,” Akira said. “I haven’t mentioned anything about the Velvet Room to you before, have I? I can’t remember.”

“Uh, I don’t think so?” Ryuji’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Doesn’t sound familiar to me, sorry.”

“No, it’s fine, that’s probably for the best anyway.” Akira tried to close his eyes, but the moment lasted for only a second before they shot right back open as he felt the plane jerk a bit, unable to stop himself from flinching slightly in response. “Let’s just say I didn’t get much rest last night, and that isn’t exactly helping my nerves any.”

Ryuji’s frown deepened as he felt Akira flinch, and he ran his thumb along the back of Akira’s hand soothingly in response. “Well if you’re that tired, then why not try ‘n’ get some sleep? It’ll make the plane ride go by faster anyway.”

Akira massaged the bridge of his nose with his free hand and let out a weary sigh. “... I don’t even know if I _can_ fall asleep with how wound-up I am right now.”

As if to prove his point, the plane jerked again, and Akira tightened his grip on Ryuji’s hand so much that he was surprised Akira’s fingernails didn’t break through his skin.

“Dude, it’s normal for the plane to move a bit, everything’s fine--”

“But isn’t it moving too much? Is it normally this shaky?” Akira swallowed thickly, lowering his voice as he added, “What if something happened to the pilot? What if--”

“ _Akira._ ” Ryuji moved his hand out of Akira’s tight grip so he could bring both of his hands up to grip Akira’s face, his own embarrassment be damned--if his boyfriend was starting to panic, he wasn’t going to just sit here and watch just because he didn’t want anyone staring at him.

Hell, they already had plenty to gossip about him anyway; what’s one more thing to add to the list at this point?

“Akira, focus on me, alright? This is _normal_ , nothing’s wrong. Planes move when they fly, that’s kinda how this shit works--otherwise we’d just be sitting on the ground not going nowhere.”

Akira couldn’t help but snort quietly in amusement at that. “I know that, I just….” He let out a quiet sigh and leaned into the hands on his face. “My mind keeps jumping to all the worst case scenarios.”

“Well just turn your mind off for a few hours and relax, ‘cuz everything’s _fine_.”

As if the universe was out to prove him wrong, the plane began to shake once more--except this time, it wasn’t stopping.

“ _Attention passengers: We will be experiencing mild to severe turbulence. Please remain seated with your seatbelts on, and return all trays to their upright position until further notice. Thank you._ ”

All the color drained from Akira’s face, and he hardly even realized that his breathing was coming out in irregular gasps as he tightly gripped Ryuji’s arms, his hands shaking even worse than the plane itself.

“Akira, Akira _calm down!_ ” Ryuji quickly reached out, appearances be damned, and pulled Akira against his chest tightly, trying his best to keep his voice down so as not to make a scene and make Akira’s panicking any worse than it already was.

“Ryuji the plane’s going to crash-- he wants us gone and we’re _all here_ , we’re all gathered here and he’s going to get rid of us all at once-- I can’t do this again, I can’t start over, not again _not when I’m so close please_ \--”

Ryuji turned slightly, pressing Akira back against his seat and hiding their faces from view as he kissed Akira hard, silencing his panicked ramblings and only pulling back slightly once they needed to breathe.

“Akira, look at me.”

Akira flinched and grabbed onto Ryuji as the plane gave a particularly violent lurch, his breathing shaky as he forced himself to look at Ryuji.

“Ryuji, it’s--”

Ryuji kissed Akira again to silence him, and Akira let out a muffled whimper into the kiss as the plane continued to shake, making his own trembling even worse.

“Akira,” Ryuji tried again, pressing his forehead against Akira’s and looking directly into his eyes as he kept his voice as calm as he possibly could. “Are you looking at me?”

Akira nodded shakily.

“Are you listening to me?”

Again, Akira gave a short nod, trying to get his breathing under control as he focused on Ryuji.

“Then I want you to repeat after me: We’re gonna be okay.”

“W--” Akira swallowed thickly as the plane lurched again, tightening his grip on Ryuji’s shirt as he took a few shaky breaths before trying again. “We’re… we’re going to be okay.”

“Good, now say: This is completely normal.”

“ _Ryuji_ \--”

Ryuji cut Akira off with another kiss. “Say it.”

“Th… this is… completely normal.”

“Good. Say it again.”

Akira took a shaky breath. “We’re… going to be okay, this is completely normal.”

Ryuji grinned. “There, now was that so hard?”

He pulled Akira close, far beyond caring about anyone watching as Akira buried his face against Ryuji’s chest, and he kept an arm wrapped around Akira as he ran his fingers through Akira’s hair soothingly.

Akira kept repeating the words to himself like a mantra, pouring his focus into the even rise and fall of Ryuji’s chest and the steady strokes of Ryuji’s fingers running along his head, the repetitive motion combined with the sheer calmness that Ryuji was emanating under such nerve-wracking circumstances gradually easing the tension from Akira’s frame as he matched his breathing with Ryuji’s.

He only became aware of the turbulence slowing to a halt when he heard Ryuji speak once more.

“See? Told’ja everything would be okay.”

Akira weakly glanced up, taking in Ryuji’s bright grin and basking in it like the ray of sunshine that his boyfriend truly was as he closed his eyes and nodded against Ryuji’s chest, a small, hesitant smile working its way onto his face.

“... Yeah, you were right.”

He was barely able to get the words out before he felt his consciousness fading along with the panic and adrenaline that had been keeping him wide awake, his body going limp against Ryuji’s as he passed out from sheer relief.

* * *

With the stressful plane ride done and over with, Akira was finally able to let himself breathe easy and relax as they stood on line to go through customs--thankfully no one had noticed his panic attack on the plane (or if they did, they were tactful enough to not mention it), and sticking close to Ryuji as they waited on line eased away whatever little bits of anxiety were lingering in the back of his mind until he was able to genuinely join in on laughing and joking with Ryuji and Ann.

(Did Akira mention how much he loved Ryuji? _God_ he adored Ryuji so much; he didn’t think he’d ever be able to properly convey how grateful he was to him, though he hoped that Ryuji at least had an idea from Akira’s heartfelt thanks when they exited the plane together, hand in hand by Ryuji’s own insistence despite his clear embarrassment.)

“Uh, hey, is it just me or are those guys only speaking in English?” Ryuji asked as they approached the front of the line, eyeing the customs officers warily.

“Ryuji, we’re in _America_ , of course they’re speaking English,” Ann replied with a roll of her eyes. “Are you really surprised?”

Ryuji huffed, but wasn’t given a chance to reply as he was called up next, and the resulting display of Ryuji enthusiastically trying--and failing--to speak English was in equal parts endearing and embarrassing to watch.

“ **We’re staying for three days on a school trip** ,” Akira said in English after watching his boyfriend say everything but what the annoyed customs officer was asking for, an amused smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as the officer shot him a grateful look while Ryuji looked over at him in surprise.

“Dude, I didn’t know you were so good at speaking English, that’s crazy!” Ryuji exclaimed after Akira finished going through customs, the two of them waiting for Ann to join them.

“Repeating the same classes year after year has some benefits,” Akira replied wryly, before turning his attention over to the other blonde moving towards them.

“Wow, Akira!” Ann exclaimed as she rushed over to the couple with a grin on her face. “I’m impressed, I had no idea you were fluent in English!”

Akira shrugged modestly. “I wouldn’t say _fluent_ … I’ve just been studying for a while, that’s all.”

“Ryuji, you should take a page from Akira’s book and try studying a bit yourself,” Ann said with an amused smile, teasingly elbowing him.

Ryuji huffed. “My English ain’t _that_ bad.”

Akira raised an eyebrow. “Ryuji, I love you, but you answered the question of ‘How long will you be staying’ with ‘Yeah, I’m so excited’,” he replied flatly, amusement shining in his eyes as he adjusted his glasses. “It was cute though, so no harm done.”

Ryuji groaned in embarrassment. “C’mon, let’s just start heading for the bus already.”

* * *

The trio made their way onto the bus, Ann with an expression of embarrassment and Akira with an expression of endeared amusement as they watched Ryuji react with enthusiastic excitement to everything new around them.

Honestly, Akira was tired of visiting Hawaii--he could only get excited about visiting the foreign land so many times before the appeal wore off--but he was more than content to vicariously re-experience that same wonder that he’d first felt all those years ago through watching Ryuji’s wide grin and bright, shining gaze as he leaned over Akira to watch the scenery pass them by through the window.

Mishima met up with the trio once more as they got off the bus and rolled their luggages over to the check in area, and Ryuji’s excitement to go rush off and explore was only put to a halt by the reminder that they had to figure out their room assignments first.

“Dibs on rooming with Akira!” Ryuji declared.

“You belong to a different class, Sakamoto-kun,” Kawakami said with a sigh as she approached the group, Makoto and Haru following behind her.

Immediately, Ryuji’s expression fell in dejection. “You mean we can’t room together?”

“Ms. Kawakami, isn’t there any way you could make an exception?” Akira asked, shooting her his most innocent look despite the flat look that he received in response from her.

“It complicates roll call--” Makoto began to explain, before Kawakami let out another sigh.

“ _Fine_ , fine. Just don’t go telling anyone I approved of this--and Sakamoto-kun, make sure you’re back with your class each morning on time for roll call.”

Makoto looked over at Kawakami in surprise while Ryuji whooped and pumped his fist in the air.

“Are you sure, Ms. Kawakami?”

Kawakami glanced over at Akira, who shot her a grateful smile as Ryuji wrapped an arm around his shoulders with a bright grin, before cracking a small, brief smile of her own.

“It’s fine.” With a pointed glance at Akira and Ryuji, she added, “I expect you two to _behave_ though, understand? Remember, this isn’t Japan.”

“Yeah yeah, we’ll behave, don’t worry,” Ryuji responded flippantly, a grin still on his face.

Kawakami locked eyes with Akira, who gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get into any trouble.”

“Good, you’d better.”

“Wh-- hey!” Ryuji looked back and forth between the two of them. “Why am _I_ the one getting singled out here?!”

“Because _you’re_ the one that calls the most attention to yourself,” Ann responded with a roll of her eyes, before turning her attention over to two of her classmates that approached her to talk.

Mishima let out a dejected sigh. “I guess I’ll go see if I can find anyone to room with, then.”

“Sorry,” Akira apologized, feeling genuinely guilty--he wasn’t trying to exclude Mishima, but when he had the option of rooming with his boyfriend, it was hard to pass that up to room with a friend instead.

(Especially when he’d roomed with Mishima practically every single time that they went on this trip.)

Mishima smiled weakly and waved his hands. “No, it’s fine, don’t worry! I, uh-- I’m sure you guys want some _private time_ together anyway.”

Akira blinked, caught off-guard, before laughing, while Ryuji blushed heavily in response to the implication.

“We’re not going to do anything like that, but thanks for trying to be considerate,” Akira replied, both to clear up the misunderstanding with Mishima (not that Akira didn’t want to take that step with his boyfriend one day, of course--he just knew that Ryuji probably wasn’t ready for anything beyond kissing, and he had no desire to rush him) and to ease Kawakami’s suspicions as she eyed the two of them.

“Kurusu-kun--” Kawakami started, frowning as Akira cut her off as he turned his attention to Ann, Makoto, and Haru.

“Let’s meet up at the beach in a bit, alright?”

Before anyone else could try and embarrass either of them, Akira grabbed his luggage with one hand and took Ryuji’s hand with his free hand, dragging his flustered boyfriend off so they could get their room key and get settled in their room.

* * *

“... S-so, uh… we’ve got a room to ourselves--”

Akira let go of his luggage once they were inside the room, turning and gently pressing a finger against Ryuji’s lips.

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean we have to actually do anything beyond what we normally do when we’re together,” Akira responded with a smile. “Besides, if everything goes like I think it will, we unfortunately won’t have much private time to ourselves.”

Ryuji blinked, his embarrassment quickly replaced with confusion. “Whaddya mean?”

Akira grabbed his luggage once more and walked further into the room so he could start unpacking as he spoke.

“Well, in almost every single timeline, I end up rooming with Mishima only for you and Ann to both crash here in our room on the second night--Ann’s roommate is going to go sleep with her boyfriend and Ann's going to get accidentally locked out of her room, and you would have gotten kicked out of your room so that your roommate’s girlfriend could sleep with him.”

“Well shit,” Ryuji replied with an annoyed frown. “Think that’ll still happen, though? I mean, you’re rooming with me this time and not Mishima, so….”

“At the very least, Ann might end up joining us,” Akira replied with a weak shrug. “But we can still share a bed, unless that would make you uncomfortable with her around.”

Ryuji blushed lightly. “I… no, that’s fine--I mean, she’ll prolly gonna tease us like hell over it, but what’s the point of sharing a room with you if we can’t sleep together?” As soon as the words left his mouth, his blush darkened heavily as he hastily corrected himself. “Sleep _in the same bed_ , I mean! Not-- I didn’t mean it like-- I mean I’m not _against_ it I just--”

Akira laughed, reaching out and pulling Ryuji into a kiss before resting his forehead against his boyfriend’s with fond amusement shining in his eyes. “I know what you meant, it’s okay.”

Ryuji dropped his gaze in embarrassment. “... Seriously though, I--not now, but at some point in the future I really do wanna... _y’know_.”

Akira’s expression softened in understanding as he pressed another kiss to Ryuji’s lips. “I know, and there’s no rush. I’m willing to wait however long you need to feel comfortable taking that next step.”

Ryuji let out a quiet, humorless laugh. “Feels like all I’ve been doing is keeping you waiting, though.”

“Shh, none of that.” Akira pulled back enough to kiss Ryuji’s forehead. “It’s my choice to wait, because I want our first time together to be something special, a memory that we’ll both cherish for the rest of our lives. I won’t be able to look back on it fondly if I know you only agreed because you felt pressured by the thought of not keeping me waiting."

Ryuji sighed, though there was an affectionate smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he replied, “Guess you’ve got a point.”

“Of course I do.” Akira kissed Ryuji’s cheek and pulled back. “Now let’s get changed and head out to the beach--no more thinking about anything negative for either of us, alright? We’re here to relax and have fun.”

Ryuji grinned. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s vacation time!”

* * *

Apparently the first few minutes of “vacation time” involved the group of teenagers standing around on the beach with their phones in hand, but once they realized that they weren’t going to get any proper enjoyment out of their time in Hawaii by just looking things up and making idle conversation like they did back home, they decided to just explore the area themselves and see what the resort had to offer.

Akira’s natural role as group leader also helped, since he was able to subtly guide them towards areas with activities that everyone would enjoy while still making it look like they found their way there by chance.

As soon as Haru and Ann spotted the free hula dancing lessons, the two girls grabbed Makoto’s hands and pulled the flustered and weakly protesting girl off to join them, which gave Akira the opportunity to pull Ryuji along with him to go parasailing in the meantime.

Watching Ryuji’s bright, excited smile, and seeing the girls in the distance smiling and laughing amongst themselves as they tried to follow the hula dancers’ instructions, lifted such a huge weight off of Akira’s shoulders that he couldn’t help but grin.

Akira thought that he’d long since lost the ability to enjoy spending three days in Hawaii, but like everything else in this incredible, perfect timeline, he was pleasantly surprised to find that he was enjoying himself like it was his very first time.

After Ryuji had tried parasailing a few times and gotten the thrill out of his system, the two boys decided to spend some time in the water while the girls wandered off, with Akira trying and failing to teach Ryuji to surf with the single surfboard he’d managed to rent from the busy seaside shack.

Watching Ryuji continuously fall into the water shouldn’t have been as amusing as it was, yet Akira was practically doubled over with laughter by the sixth time of Ryuji losing his extremely precarious balance, his arms flailing madly each time as if that would somehow prevent the surfboard from going flying and his body from falling backwards into the ocean.

(Akira didn’t need to know that only half of those times were accidental--Ryuji would gladly make a fool of himself a hundred times over if it meant continuing to hear Akira’s genuine, open laughter.)

“If you think you can do a better job, then lemme see _you_ try,” Ryuji said with a playful huff, shoving the surfboard in Akira’s direction while knowing fully well that his boyfriend was going to completely and utterly show him up.

Akira smirked as he took the board. “With pleasure.”

Of course Ryuji knew that Akira was going to show off, but he wasn’t expecting to watch him go further out towards the larger waves--but really, he should’ve known better, because what _wasn’t_ Akira incredible at by this point? Of _course_ he would’ve picked up surfing after coming to Hawaii year after year, and of _course_ he’d be a big enough show-off to not only ride a big wave with practiced ease, but do tricks as well, launching himself off the top of the wave and landing back on it smoothly, swerving around on the water like he was practically gliding.

And of _course_ he had to look fucking hot while doing it.

Damn (attractive) show-off.

(How the hell was Ryuji lucky enough that someone as incredible as Akira fell in love with someone as mediocre as him? He had no idea, but he couldn’t help the bright, gloating grin on his face as he saw people pointing at Akira and heard their exclamations.)

_Yeah, that’s right, that’s my boyfriend and he’s fuckin’ amazing; you’d better be impressed._

Still, he couldn’t _completely_ give Akira the satisfaction of knowing how amazing he thought he was, if only because the smugness radiating off of his boyfriend as he lazily paddled back towards him on the board was enough to make Ryuji want to push him into the water.

Maybe the cool water would shrink Akira’s swelled head a bit.

“So? What did you think?” Akira asked with a smirk.

Ryuji put on his best poker face as he shrugged and replied, “Eh. I’ve seen better.”

The look on Akira’s face was comical enough that Ryuji couldn’t keep a straight face for long--it was such an amusing cross between shocked, insulted, and sulking that Ryuji half-wondered if Akira was going to do an about-face and start trying to find an even bigger wave to try and impress him even more.

“Dude, I’m _kidding_ ,” Ryuji finally gave in with a grin and a laugh. “That was fuckin’ _awesome_ _!_ ”

Akira’s expression relaxed into a relieved smile as he chuckled. “I’m glad you thought so. It took a few years to get down the basics, but it’s surprisingly fun.”

“Plus it lets you show off,” Ryuji added with an amused look.

“Plus it lets me show off, yes,” Akira agreed with a smirk. “But I bet you enjoyed watching me show off, didn’t you?”

Ryuji rolled his eyes and finally gave in to the urge to shove Akira off of the surfboard, laughing as Akira yelped and fell into the water with a splash.

Akira surfaced, coughing slightly and pushing his wet bangs out of his eyes as his grin turned sharp.

“Alright, so that’s how you want to play it, huh?”

Ryuji yelped, laughing and trying not to inhale water by accident as Akira tackled him and pushed him down in the water.

And that was how Ann found the two boys when she returned to the beach after changing back into her regular clothes: laughing and wrestling with each other in the water, the other beach patrons keeping their distance from the two roughhousing teens.

She rolled her eyes, trying and failing to repress an amused smile as she called out, “Can’t you two keep your hands off each other for five minutes? You’re scaring off all the other people.”

Ryuji paused with his arm around Akira’s neck in a headlock, the two of them looking up to find Ann standing at the water’s edge with a hand on her hips and a smile on her face.

“Hey, c’mon in with us, the water’s great!” Ryuji called out to Ann, moving his arm off of Akira so he could wave to her.

Ann made a face. “Ryuji, I’m fully dressed, does it look like I want to go in the water? Besides, I’m going shopping later; I don’t want to get wet and have to redo my hair!”

Akira chuckled as Ryuji pouted. “Why don’t we get out for a bit instead, then? We can go get something to eat.”

Ryuji’s stomach growled at the mention of food, and he smiled sheepishly, belatedly realized how hungry he was. “Alright, that sounds good to me.”

The two of them made their way out of the water, Akira quickly going to return the rented surfboard and get their phones and wallets from where he’d left them in storage before returning to Ryuji’s side.

As Akira and Ryuji approached their unsuspecting friend, who was staring down at her phone with a smile on her face, they exchanged mischievous glances before moving as one and slinging their wet arms around her, trapping her in between them.

Ann half-yelled and half-squealed with laughter as she tried to shove them both off, nearly dropping her phone in the process. “Ugh, you two are unbelievable!! I _just said_ I didn’t want to get wet!!”

Ryuji laughed. “Aww c’mon, you’ll dry off in like five seconds in this heat anyway.”

“That’s not the _point_ , my clothes and my hair are going to be _ruined_ now--ugh, you two are the worst.” Ann finally managed to pull free from the two of them, though she couldn’t quite hide her smile despite her annoyed tone as she pocketed her phone and tried in vain to wipe some of the salt water off of her shirt and hair before it could seep in. “I expected this from Ryuji, but not you too, Akira, jeez.”

Akira smirked. “What can I say, Ryuji’s just a terrible influence on me.”

“Oh don’t even start with that, I saw the look in your eyes before,” Ryuji replied with an elbow to Akira’s side. “You’re just as bad as me--hell, you’re prolly even worse.”

Ann rolled her eyes. “Anyway, are we going to find something to eat or not? I’m starved.”

Akira smiled, moving between the two of them as he looped one arm through Ryuji’s and the other through Ann’s. “Then let’s go. I saw the perfect place earlier; the food smelled delicious and the prices were cheap.”

“Wait, what about Makoto and Haru?” Ryuji asked, glancing over at Ann curiously. “Weren’t they with you?”

Ann frowned. “They had to leave to go and help the teachers--I feel bad that they can’t fully enjoy their time here with us.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll meet up with us as soon as they’re free,” Akira said, giving both of his friends a reassuring smile.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Ryuji grinned. “Alright, now lead the way to the food, Leader!”

Akira laughed softly and began walking, unable to help the slight smirk that tugged at his lips as he caught sight of people glancing at them out of the corner of his eye.

“I feel like I’m living the American dream right now--I’ve got a beautiful blond on each arm.”

Ryuji rolled his eyes at the sappy comment, a light blush on his face, while Ann laughed and teasingly hit his arm.

“You charmer,” she replied, her amusement growing as Akira shot her a wink in response.

Ryuji watched the two of them with a smile, thinking back with amusement to just a few months ago when even the thought of Akira and Ann spending time together made jealousy bubble up inside him.

Akira was in love with Ryuji, and Ann was in love with Shiho. The thought of them doing anything more than joking around with each other as friends was enough to make Ryuji want to laugh--though he supposed insecurity did weird things to a person’s head.

At least this was proof that he’d come a long way.

(Akira had come a long way too, with how much more he was openly smiling and laughing with the rest of the team, and Ryuji was so, _so_ proud of him--even with the few hiccups he had here and there, he was finally taking steps towards enjoying the present and thinking about the future.)

“Oh, there it is.”

Akira’s voice pulled Ryuji from his thoughts, and he looked over at the small shack with tables set out around it, the smell of meat and fish grilling on the barbecue already making his mouth water.

“You two can order whatever you want, my treat,” Akira said with a smile. “Dessert too.”

“Are you sure?” Ann asked, though her concern was dampened by her gaze already locking onto the dessert menu.

Akira laughed softly. “I’m positive. This is our celebration for a job well done; might as well enjoy it to the fullest.”

Ryuji grinned. “Couldn’t’ve said it better myself!” he exclaimed, before rushing off to place his order.

(It was hard to feel guilty when he knew just how much money Akira had to spend, though he vowed to at least find something in one of the shops to get for Akira as a thank you.)

Ann rolled her eyes, but was no less eager as she followed him over to the shack to place her order, with Akira trailing behind as he watched them both with an affectionate smile. He took out his phone, texting Makoto and Haru the name of the place that they’d stopped at for lunch so the two girls could join them as soon as they were free, before moving behind Ryuji and Ann so he could pay for their meals and order his own food.

* * *

When Haru found out that Akira paid for all of their lunches (including hers and Makoto’s--he already knew what they liked to eat, and they were both working hard, so he figured the least he could do is have their meals waiting for them by the time they arrived), she first insisted on paying him back, before insisting on buying everyone dinner once she realized that Akira wouldn’t accept any money from her.

It was both sweet and amusing how stubborn she was about it, and in the end Akira ended up giving in to her polite demand if only because he knew that, like himself, Haru loved doing everything in her power to take care of their friends, and he wasn’t about to deny her that small bit of happiness.

(Neither she nor Akira seemed to pay much attention to Ryuji, Ann, and Makoto’s protests that they could pay for their own food, though the trio had no choice but to give in when Haru pulled out enough cash to cover the check plus a generous tip without batting an eye.)

By the time Akira and Ryuji returned to their room, they were both pleasantly stuffed and exhausted, and Akira was the first to plop himself down on the soft bed with a drawn-out sigh of contentment.

Ryuji plopped himself down on the free bed--just because he wanted to toss himself down on a bed without landing on Akira, rather than out of any desire to sleep more than one inch away from his boyfriend--and grinned as he bounced slightly on the soft mattress.

“One of the best parts of this trip,” Akira started, rolling over slightly so his face was half pressed into the unfairly-soft pillow, “is getting to sleep on an actual, comfortable bed.”

Ryuji rolled his eyes. “Dude, just buy a better mattress; not like you don’t have the money for it.”

“And how would I explain it to Sojiro when he asks how I got the money for a brand new mattress? Not to mention having to carry it upstairs while the cafe is open, since I doubt it would be delivered after hours.”

Ryuji grimaced. “Yeah, okay, fair point.”

Akira smiled, lifting himself up a bit to look over at Ryuji. “Besides, who needs a better mattress when I have you?”

“With how you’re practically laying on top of me every time we share the bed, I might as well be your mattress,” Ryuji responded wryly.

Akira at least had the decency to look sheepish as he replied, “To be fair, you’re very comfortable--and it just helps me to sleep like that.”

“Like what, sprawled out on me instead of the bed?”

Akira chuckled, pushing himself up off of the bed so he could join Ryuji, and he smiled as Ryuji immediately made room for him despite his playful griping.

“I’ve tried a bunch of different things over the years to help me sleep, but nothing works quite as well as physically having you here with me.” Akira rested his head against Ryuji’s chest and closed his eyes. “Hearing your heartbeat, listening to your breathing, feeling the gentle rise and fall of your chest… it’s a reminder that you’re _here_ , that you’re with me in a way that you’ve only ever been once before--it makes it a lot easier to narrow down when and where I am after waking up, too.”

Ryuji let out a soft breath, his face lightly flushed as he idly ran his fingers through Akira’s hair.

“... I’m glad,” he responded after a moment, his voice a soft murmur. “I’m glad that me being here is enough to help you.” He hesitated for a moment out of embarrassment before adding, “And… y’know I was just kidding, right? I really don’t mind you sleeping on me like this--I like it, honestly. Makes me feel like I’m… I dunno, like I’m protecting you even while we’re asleep, or something.” Ryuji laughed quietly, his blush darkening in embarrassment. “That sounded less stupid in my head, sorry.”

“That wasn’t stupid at all, Ryuji.” Akira smiled, pushing himself up just enough to press a kiss to Ryuji’s cheek. “That was very sweet, and I feel the same way honestly: I can let my guard down and sleep soundly because I know I’m safe in your arms.”

“Now who’s the one being sweet ‘n’ sappy, huh?” Ryuji grinned, pulling Akira into a proper kiss.

Akira rested his head back against Ryuji’s chest with a soft, content sigh after they broke the kiss, a smile on his face as he murmured, “This is, without a doubt, the best Hawaii trip I’ve ever lived through.”

Ryuji chuckled. “I can imagine. So what’s been different about it so far, ‘sides the obvious bit with us rooming together?”

“Well, Haru is almost never a part of our group this early, so it’s nice to see her spending time with the girls instead of being off on her own,” Akira replied. “Plus, no offense to Mishima, but it’s nice having a quiet night without having to listen to him talk about the Phantom Thieves--especially now; I just need a break from thinking in general.”

Ryuji nodded in understanding, running his fingers through Akira’s hair again and smiling as he relaxed into the touch. “Yeah, the  _last_ thing any of us need to think about right now is Phantom Thief stuff, ‘specially you. We’re on _vacation_ ; you of all people deserve to be able to enjoy it to the fullest.”

“And I am, trust me,” Akira replied with a soft laugh. “I didn’t even think it was possible for me to have fun here anymore, honestly. The closest I used to get was just finding things to do so I wouldn’t be bored out of my mind.”

“I’m glad.” Ryuji pressed a kiss to the top of Akira’s head, smiling as Akira let out a soft, content sigh in response. “And you bet I’m gonna make sure you keep having a good time for the whole trip. No stressing about the future, no thinking about shit--just good ol’ fashion fun ‘n’ relaxation.”

Akira chuckled, moving a hand to stifle a yawn before replying.

“I’m looking forward to it already.”

* * *

Of all the things Ryuji expected to see while in Hawaii, Yusuke walking up behind him mid-conversation the next day definitely wasn’t one of them.

“What’re you doing here?!”

“I thought your school was supposed to be going to Los Angeles?” Makoto added, her expression just as startled as the rest of the group’s.

(Except Akira, of course, but he never looked surprised--Ryuji figured this was just another thing that Akira already knew was going to happen.)

“Apparently they couldn’t land the plane due to a terrible storm brewing on the west coast.” Yusuke frowned. “There were no signs of it letting up, so our destination was changed on the spot to Hawaii.”

Akira gave Yusuke a small smile. “Well, I’m glad that you arrived safely, and that you ended up staying at the same hotel as us.”

“Yeah, now the gang’s all here!” Ryuji said with a grin, before faltering slightly as he added, “Well, ‘cept Futaba ‘n’ Mona.”

“It really is a shame that they couldn’t come…,” Haru murmured. “Should I have asked my father to arrange to have them flown in?”

“Futaba has her own things to work on back home anyway, so don’t feel bad,” Akira replied, before adding wryly, “Besides, there’s no way that any of us could have known that Yusuke would end up at the same hotel as us.”

(Ryuji snorted quietly at that, but kept his mouth shut as much as he wanted to call Akira out on his bullshit.)

“That’s true,” Makoto replied, before glancing at the group as a whole as she continued. “By the way, there’s nothing planned after this. What are you all going to do?”

Ryuji shrugged. “I was just planning on heading to the souvenir shops to get something for my mom.”

“Oh, we should get something for Futaba and Morgana too!” Ann added with a smile.

Yusuke smiled. “I was hoping to do some shopping myself.”

“I guess that settles that.” Akira glanced over at Makoto and Haru. “Do you two want to come too?”

“Of course!” Haru smiled brightly. “I’d love to see what kind of cute little trinkets they have. What about you, Mako-chan?”

Makoto cracked a smile. “Souvenir shops tend to be very overpriced, but… well, I guess it couldn't hurt to see what they have.”

* * *

It turned out that Makoto was right--the souvenir shops were extremely overpriced, to the point where Ryuji was scrounging to find something halfway decent to buy for his mom that wouldn’t eat up half of his spending money.

(Akira offered to pay for him, and while Ryuji appreciated the gesture, he was adamant about using his own money to buy a gift for his mom--it wouldn’t mean nearly as much if someone else paid for it.)

After finally finding something halfway decent for his mom (a small wooden picture frame with carved palm trees and the word “Aloha” on top, which Ryuji knew without a doubt his mom would find a picture to put in), his next challenge was finding something to buy for Akira.

Not that he _had_ to buy Akira anything--he knew if Akira really wanted anything from any of these souvenir shops, he could buy it for himself with ease--but… well, wasn’t that what couples did? Buy silly little trinkets for each other?

While he would have loved to buy something big or fancy for Akira, considering the crazy amount of money that Akira had spent on him over the last few months, he knew there was no way for him to compete on that front--so instead he had to try and think creatively. There had to be something small that he could get instead, something that would mean more than some fancy expensive gift….

Ryuji grinned as something caught his eye, and he was quick to snatch one for himself and one for Akira while his boyfriend was distracted by Yusuke critiquing all the lackluster artwork on the decorative plates lining the shelves.

He managed to pay for his stuff while Akira was still distracted, feeling like a true Phantom Thief as Akira moved back over to his side none the wiser about his extra purchase.

“Managed to find something for your mom?”

“Yep!” Ryuji grinned. “What about you, you finished shopping pretty quick. Did’ja find anything good?”

“Mmhm.” Akira opened up his bag to show Ryuji his purchases: there was a large, tacky-looking T-shirt for Futaba, a small clip-on tropical fish for Morgana’s collar, and a bag of local coffee beans for Sojiro. “I started just sticking with the same stuff once I figured out what souvenirs they liked best.”

“Cheater,” Ryuji replied teasingly as he grinned and lightly elbowed Akira’s side. Glancing over at the rest of the group, who were finishing making their own purchases, he raised his voice slightly to speak to all of them as he asked, “What’cha guys wanna do next? Head back to the beach, maybe?”

“Yeah, the beach sounds great!”

Ann was the first to join Akira and Ryuji with two bags in hand, Yusuke following after her while Makoto and Haru moved up to pay for their own purchases.

“I agree, the beach sounds like a wonderful idea.”

“Let’s go back to our rooms and drop our things off first, though,” Makoto advised, her and Haru moving over to join the group once they finished checking out.

Akira nodded in agreement. “Alright, then let’s head back for now. We can meet back up at the beach in twenty minutes.”

* * *

Akira and Ryuji were on their way to the beach from the hotel when something caught Akira’s attention, a frown tugging at the corners of his lips as he came to a stop.

By the time Ryuji noticed, Akira was already striding towards three older men surrounding a girl about their age, speaking in heavily-accented Japanese.

“There’s a great restaurant thataway!” one of them said, ignoring the girl’s timid protests as he moved closer to her.

As soon as one of the men reached out to grab her, Akira was by her side with a gentle yet firm grip on her shoulder and a reassuring smile on his face.

“Hey, Hifumi. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Hifumi’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Kurusu-kun? Why…?” Her attention quickly shifted over to the blond-haired teen that rushed over to them, and was momentarily worried before relaxing as she saw him shoot the three men a glare.

“Beat it, you jerks! Can’t’cha see she’s not interested?”

Akira forced himself not to smile in endearment--he had no doubts as soon as he stepped in to help Hifumi that Ryuji would immediately have his back, no questions asked, without even knowing who she was or what was going on.

Apparently taking the hint, the three men backed down and wandered off with annoyed expressions, and Ryuji glared at their retreating forms for good measure before softening his expression as he turned to look at the girl, who bowed to him and Akira.

“You saved me. Thank you two so much.”

Akira smiled and waved off her thanks. “It was nothing.”

“Yeah, no problem!” Ryuji replied with a grin, before glancing at Akira as he added, “So, I’m guessing you two know each other?”

“Yes,” Hifumi replied as she straightened up, a small smile on her face. “Kurusu-kun and I occasionally play shogi together at the Kanda church.” She eyed Ryuji for a moment before adding, “I assume you must be Sakamoto-kun. Kurusu-kun has told me a lot about you.”

Ryuji blushed, shooting Akira a look and receiving a sheepish smile and a shrug in response.

“How am I not supposed to gush about my boyfriend to everyone I meet?” Akira replied, prompting a soft laugh from Hifumi and a groan of embarrassment from Ryuji.

“I swear, you’re worse than my ma.”

Hifumi smiled and gave him a polite bow as she said, “In any case, it’s a pleasure to finally get to meet you, Sakamoto-kun. My name is Hifumi Togo.”

“Oh, uh… nice to meet’cha too, Hifumi.” Ryuji grinned as a thought came to him. “Hey, if you’re not doing anything, why don’t you come to the beach with us? We’re going to meet up with our friends now.”

Hifumi’s eyes widened slightly, and even Akira seemed briefly caught off-guard by the suggestion (which Ryuji took pride in, though he did his best not to let it show).

“Oh, I couldn’t, I wouldn’t want to impose and make things awkward….”

“Nah, don’t worry about that! Any friend of Akira’s is a friend of ours!”

Hifumi shot Akira a tentative glance, as if asking for his permission, and Akira gave her a smile and an encouraging nod in response.

“... I suppose if I really wouldn’t be a bother, I wouldn’t mind meeting your friends,” Hifumi replied with a small smile.

Ryuji grinned and pumped his fist in the air in success, his giddiness fueled by Akira’s pleasantly surprised smile as he watched the two of them.

“Awesome! C’mon, follow me; they're waiting for us over this way!”

* * *

Akira was surprised that he never thought of inviting Hifumi to spend time with his friends before--once the slightly awkward introductions were out of the way, she warmed up to them surprisingly quickly. It wasn’t long before Ann was pulling her along by the hand to find a free spot in the sand, Haru and Ryuji following behind with some shovels and pails that Haru bought as the group began working together to try and build a giant sandcastle, with Yusuke both encouraging and critiquing them the whole way through.

The only ones who didn’t join in were Akira and Makoto, who both stood off to the side and watched the group with amused smiles on their faces.

Or, well, _one_ of them was watching the entire group, anyway.

Akira smirked as he glanced at Makoto, following her gaze to find that she was staring at Haru.

“She looks cute in that bathing suit, doesn’t she?” Akira said, testing her.

Makoto was halfway to nodding in agreement before she properly registered Akira’s statement, at which point she blushed heavily and turned to glare at him.

“What?” Akira smiled innocently. “I never said who I was looking at, now did I? Though you seemed to have a certain someone in mind when you answered.”

“I didn’t--” Makoto let out a quiet, frustrated noise as she ran her hand over her flushed face, Akira’s knowing smirk not helping one bit. “... I just… wasn’t paying attention to what you were saying.”

“Because you were busy looking at Haru.”

“I was _not_ \--”

Akira put a finger to Makoto’s lips to silence her, a smirk still on his face. “If you’re not quiet, she’ll hear you.”

Makoto glared weakly at him and swatted his hand away. “I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, Akira, but I would _appreciate_ if you knock it off.”

Akira put his hands up in a gesture of surrender, though his smug expression remained as he said, “For the record, I think she likes you too. Why else would she have bought you that hair clip that you’re wearing?”

Makoto gaped, her hand immediately going up to cover the hair clip as her blush darkened. “How d--” She quickly cut herself off, though she knew it was too late to salvage the situation even as she said, “I-I brought this hair clip with me; she didn’t….”

Akira shot Makoto a wink before deciding to spare her any more teasing as he walked over to join the rest of the group.

“Yusuke,” Akira began as he approached the artist, who paused in the middle of his critique of their “misshapen and lackluster” castle to glance over at him. “Why don’t we show them how it’s done?”

Yusuke eyed him in intrigue. “You know how to sculpt?”

Akira smiled confidently, rolling his shoulders. “I’m pretty good with my hands. I think I can make do.”

Ann grinned and elbowed Ryuji. “Aren’t you lucky, having a boyfriend that’s good with his hands~”

Ryuji huffed and lightly shoved her arm, his face flushed. “Oh shut it.”

Akira swiped Ryuji’s shovel from him with a kiss to his cheek and a playful smirk before joining Yusuke in beginning to gather and mold the sand, the artist using one of Ann’s hair pins to carefully carve out the details on the outside while Akira fortified the walls and dug a moat around it for added effect, filling it with water that Ryuji was more than happy to get for him from the ocean with their plastic bucket.

By the time the two were finished, they’d drawn a surprisingly sizeable crowd of tourists and locals alike that stopped to take pictures of the realistic-looking sandcastle.

Yusuke straightened up with a satisfied smile as he looked over the sandcastle, and Akira looked just as proud as he pulled out his phone to immortalize the work of art for himself.

“I must say, I’m impressed,” Yusuke commented as he glanced at Akira. “I had no idea you had such a gift for sculpting.”

Akira shrugged, rolling his neck to ease some of the tension from being crouched over for so long. “You did most of the difficult work, I just made sure it stayed in one piece.”

Ryuji grinned and swung an arm around Akira’s shoulders. “Don’t sell yourself short, man! That was crazy, watching you two! You were like a couple ‘a pros!”

Akira smiled and kissed Ryuji’s cheek. “You helped too, gathering water for me.”

Ryuji rolled his eyes. “You just keep finding new ways to twist shit around so you can say something nice about me. Getting water didn’t do shit for making the castle and you know it.”

Akira laughed quietly. “Can you blame me, though? I have the best boyfriend in the world, of course I always want to say nice things about you.”

“While you two lovebirds keep making kissy faces at one another, the rest of us normal people are going in the water,” Ann called out, pulling Akira and Ryuji’s attention away from one another as they realized that the group was already making their way towards the ocean.

“Hey, c’mon, wait up!” Ryuji exclaimed as he pulled away from Akira and rushed to catch up.

Akira took a moment to watch his group of friends running into the water with smiles and laughter, his heart swelling as they called out for him to hurry up.

With a grin, he tossed his phone with the rest of their belongings and ran over to the water to join the group.

* * *

It was about an hour later before the group finally decided they were waterlogged enough to drag themselves out of the ocean, and Akira treated the whole group to lunch (despite their protests) to give everyone some time to unwind and get their energy back before Ryuji spotted an empty volleyball court on the beach and rushed over to claim it before anyone else could.

It took no time at all for Akira to find a place to get a volleyball for them to use, and within minutes a heated game of beach volleyball had begun--boys versus girls, with Ryuji claiming that giving the girls one more player than them would even the odds a bit.

Akira tried his best not to laugh as the girls quickly made him eat his words--really, he did--but it was hard to stop the laughter from slipping out as Ryuji found himself face-first in the sand after a particularly strong spike from Makoto that he tried to dive for and missed completely.

As fun as it was, Akira was beginning to feel a bit exhausted from the heat--and having dealt with one too many timelines of sunburn and heat exhaustion, he figured it would be better to bow out sooner rather than later.

“I’m going to go sit in the shade for a bit. Ann, why don’t you come and give these two a hand so they’re not completely hopeless while I’m gone?”

Ann grinned and moved under the net over to Ryuji and Yusuke, the former huffing and protesting that Akira was getting his ass kicked just as much as they were even as Akira laughed and began walking away.

His eyes roamed the beach, searching for an empty chair under an umbrella nearby--which, given that the beach was a tourist spot, was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Just as he was going to give up and wander off to find somewhere indoors to sit down instead, he caught sight of a familiar face laying down under an umbrella, a free chair next to her, and he strolled over and plopped himself down without even needing to ask.

Kawakami cracked an eye open, frowning slightly as she saw Akira. “Kurusu-kun--” she began warningly, but wasn’t able to get anything more than that out before Akira smiled and waved off her concerns.

“The beach is packed, and I needed to get out of the sun for a bit. I’ll be out of your hair in a few minutes.”

Kawakami sighed and shook her head slightly, but she made no move to chase him off, so Akira figured that was as much of a green light to sprawl out on the beach chair and relax as he was going to get.

“Pina colada?” Akira asked, gesturing to the drink in Kawakami’s hand.

“I wish,” Kawakami muttered, taking another sip of the drink before responding. “It’s a virgin. Teachers aren’t allowed to drink on the job.”

“Well, at least you have some down time. Better than back home, right?”

Kawakami let out a sigh. “That’s true. Though….” She glanced at Akira out of the corner of her eye. “Things haven’t been too bad at home either, recently. I finally got all of my shifts covered, so I’ll be able to finish up at my part-time job next week.”

“And the Takases? They haven’t been bothering you?”

Kawakami cracked a small smile. “Not since the _Phantom Thieves_ helped me out, no.”

Akira smirked. “If I ever meet them, I’ll pass on your thanks.”

“Riiiight.” Kawakami laughed quietly as she shook her head. “But seriously… things are starting to look up--so you don’t have to worry about me. Just focus on taking care of yourself.”

Akira shrugged. “Taking care of other people _is_ how I take care of myself.”

“You’re going to burn yourself out if you keep acting like that,” Kawakami warned him, sighing as Akira gave another shrug and a sheepish smile in return. “You’re hopeless, I swear. Hopefully that boyfriend of yours will at least look after you.”

Akira’s gaze unconsciously moved over to rest on Ryuji at the mention of his boyfriend, a soft smile on his face as he watched Ryuji grinning brightly and laughing about something with Ann. “He always does,” he murmured distractedly, only bringing his attention back to Kawakami as he heard her let out a groan.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m jealous.” Kawakami took another sip of her drink, an annoyed frown on her face. “I’d kill to have someone look at me the way you look at Sakamoto-kun.” Her expression softened slightly as she added, “But honestly, I’m happy for the two of you. You’re a perfect match for each other, troublemaking and all.”

Akira chuckled. “I’m glad you think so, thank you--and I’m sure you’ll find someone someday. You’re a kind, beautiful woman; who wouldn’t want to be with you?”

Kawakami rolled her eyes. “You’re ten years too young to be flirting with me, but thanks.”

_Or eighty years too old, maybe_ , Akira mused with a wry smile. He kept his thoughts to himself as he instead replied, “It’s not flirting if it’s the truth.”

“You charmer,” Kawakami muttered, amusement shining through in her eyes even as she repressed a smile. “Sakamoto-kun must have his hands full, dealing with you.”

“Probably, but he still sticks around anyway,” Akira replied with a wry smile.

Speaking of Ryuji, it seemed that the group had grown tired of playing volleyball and split up, and Akira couldn’t help but laugh softly as he watched Ryuji’s head moving back and forth like a lost puppy as he roamed the beach, obviously searching for Akira amongst the crowds of people.

“I think that’s my cue,” Akira said with an amused smile, rising to his feet and stretching a bit. “Enjoy the rest of your day, Ms. Kawakami. I’ll see you back at the hotel.”

Kawakami shooed him off with a wave of her hand. “Make sure to stay out of trouble, and remind Sakamoto-kun to actually be _on time_ for roll-call tomorrow morning.”

Akira laughed sheepishly--that had admittedly been his fault for not wanting to let go of Ryuji in his sleep, but of course Kawakami didn’t need to know that. “I will.”

With that, Akira made his way around and through the crowds of people to catch up with his boyfriend, surprising him with an arm around his shoulders and a kiss to his cheek.

“Akira!”

The way Ryuji’s face lit up upon seeing him made Akira’s heart swell as he grinned and pressed another kiss to Ryuji’s face, which was flushed from both the heat and exertion of a few intense rounds of beach volleyball, and only seemed to grow more flushed from the affection.

“How’re you feeling?” Ryuji asked, inspecting him worriedly. “You’re not dizzy or anything, are you?”

Akira’s expression softened as he moved his arm, instead taking Ryuji’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I’m fine, but you’re looking a bit red. How about we go get some ice cream and cool off inside?”

Ryuji grinned, squeezing Akira’s hand in return and lightly bumping their arms together. “Sounds like a plan to me. Let’s go!”

* * *

After going out for ice cream, they met back up with Ann, who somehow managed to rope the two of them into helping her take pictures of herself modeling on the beach for Shiho (though if Akira had to pick, he was pretty sure that Shiho was going to enjoy the candid pictures that he got of Ryuji tossing Ann into the ocean and Ann chasing him down the beach while trying not to laugh more than any of the staged modeling pictures that he took for her).

By the time they were finished, it was time to dry up and change so that they could meet up with the rest of the group (plus Hifumi, to Akira’s pleased surprise--apparently she and Makoto had hit it off pretty well) for dinner, and before Akira knew it another full day had gone by, leaving him once again in the privacy of his hotel room with Ryuji.

As much as he loved his friends, getting to spend a little private time with Ryuji was always something that he looked forward to.

Apparently Ryuji was on the same page as him, since he wasted no time in wrapping an arm around Akira and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

“You looked like you had fun today. I’m glad.”

Akira smiled and leaned against Ryuji. “I did, yeah. I don’t think we’ve ever had this much fun together as a group in Hawaii; usually we spend a little time together and just go our separate ways.”

“And what about Hifumi? You seemed pretty surprised about her, but I couldn’t really ask why at the time.”

Ryuji gently pulled Akira down with him to sit on the bed, idly stretching out his aching leg and flushing when Akira’s hand reached out and began massaging it. “Dude, you don’t have to--”

Akira silenced his protest with a kiss. “I want to,” he replied, continuing to massage his flustered boyfriend’s leg as he spoke. “As for Hifumi, it’s because there haven’t been very many timelines where the two of us interacted on this trip, and I genuinely can’t recall a single time where she ended up spending time with our whole group.”

Ryuji grinned. “So that means I made something different happen?”

Akira laughed softly. “Yes, you did.” He kissed Ryuji’s cheek with a smile. “You just keep finding new ways to surprise me.”

“Oh!” Ryuji sprung up off the bed, his sore leg forgotten and his grin widening as he rushed over to the gift shop bag sitting on top of his luggage. “Speaking of surprises, I got you something at the gift shop.”

“You did?” Akira straightened up a bit on the bed, looking a mixture of surprised, guilty, and excited. “You didn’t have to get me anything….”

“Dude, _please_ , with everything you’ve been doing for me and buying for me? I’m almost embarrassed that this is all I could get for you.”

Ryuji pulled out two phone straps, one with a palm tree and a shark charm and the other with a palm tree and a crab charm, and showed them both to Akira.

“Figured I’d let you pick the one that you liked best,” Ryuji said with a sheepish smile. “And I’ll keep the other one, so we’ve got a matching set.”

Akira’s expression softened into a smile as he immediately reached out and, to Ryuji’s surprise, took the strap with the shark.

“This one makes me think of you,” Akira explained with a soft laugh. “So I’ll take this one, if that’s alright.”

“That’s perfect, honestly.” Ryuji glanced away with a small, embarrassed smile. “The whole point of this was to give you something that you could look at and think of me. Y’know, for like… whenever I’m not around, ‘specially in the mornings. You always grab for your phone to check the date, so I figured… I dunno, maybe having something right on your phone to see would help like… like having me around helps?” He laughed sheepishly. “That made a bit more sense in my head, sorry.”

Akira swore he could physically feel his heart swelling with love and gratitude as he reached out and pulled Ryuji into a kiss, hardly even caring as they both lost their balance from the abrupt motion and fell backwards onto the bed in the process.

“Thank you,” Akira murmured as soon as they broke the kiss, shifting so he could wrap his arms around Ryuji and hug him tightly.

“D… dude, it’s just a dinky little phone strap, you don’t gotta be _that_ grateful--”

“It’s the thought that went into it,” Akira replied with a soft laugh. “You wanted me to have something to ground myself with when you’re not around--and you went so far as to pick something you knew I’d see right away every morning, _and_ you got us a matching set to top it all off. How am I _not_ supposed to be grateful?”

Ryuji blushed. “I still think you’re making a big deal outta nothing, but… I’m glad you like it.”

“Ryuji,” Akira began, moving his hands to cup his boyfriends face, “I would love _anything_ that you got for me, just because it’s from _you_. How could I not?”

Akira didn’t give Ryuji the chance to respond as he cleared the short distance between them, pressing their lips together in another kiss.

There was the slight, nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he was forgetting something, but Akira pushed the feeling off until there was a knock at the door, forcefully pulling Akira from his state of hazy relaxation as Ryuji’s lips _just_ started trailing down his neck--and apparently Ryuji wasn’t much more pleased about the interruption himself as he grumbled and pushed himself up off the bed.

Akira had hardly a few seconds to make sure he didn’t look too disheveled before Ann stormed into the room and plopped herself down on the free bed with a huff.

“Sure, just make yourself at home, why don’t’cha,” Ryuji muttered sarcastically as he closed and locked the door behind her.

“It’s not my fault, okay? The girl I was sharing a room with took off to her boyfriend’s room with the key, and I got locked out.”

Akira smiled--even if he felt a bit disgruntled from having his private time with Ryuji interrupted, that didn’t mean he was about to kick out one of his friends. “It’s fine. You can stay here with us.”

Ann gave him a relieved smile in return. “Thank you _so_ much, I had _no_ idea what I was going to do--I didn’t want to be a jerk and go rat her out to the teachers just because I got locked out of the room, y’know?”

Ryuji sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “Well, it ain’t like we’re using both beds anyway, so I guess it’s fine.”

“Just no making out in front of me, I’d rather not lose my dinner,” Ann teased.

Akira chuckled quietly while Ryuji groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Anyway, we have the rest of the night--now that there’s three of us here, why don’t we do something fun to pass the time?” Akira suggested.

“Like what?” Ryuji questioned, watching as Akira got up and moved over to his bag, rummaging through it before straightening up with a smile and a small box in his hand.

“How about Uno?”

* * *

Somehow, even in games of chance, Akira still managed to come out on top--and while Ryuji normally didn’t like to lose, there was something thrilling about the challenge of trying to best someone as perfect as Akira.

It also made it that much more satisfying when he and Ann each managed to win a round.

Akira apparently came prepared (which, _duh_ , of course he was prepared for this, Akira was prepared for _everything_ ) as he pulled out a deck of regular playing cards after they were bored of Uno, and they played a few rounds of Cheat (which Akira was _also_ unfairly good at) before Ann let out a yawn, reminding them that they should probably try and get some sleep at some point.

Ann stole one of Akira’s shirts and a pair of Ryuji’s shorts before taking over the bathroom to get showered and changed, and Akira did his best not to laugh as Ryuji tried _very_ hard not to blush and glance at the bathroom door, his embarrassment doubling when he realized Akira was watching him.

“It’s okay,” Akira teased as he gave Ryuji’s head a pat. “I won’t get jealous that you’re getting flustered over a girl showering in your general vicinity.”

“Oh _shut up._ ”

Of course, Ryuji embarrassment returned as soon as Ann stepped out of the bathroom wearing his and Akira’s clothes, but to be completely fair Ann was a _very_ attractive girl and it wasn’t every day a guy got to see an attractive girl in his clothes--

Ann rolled her eyes as she saw the look on Ryuji’s face and grabbed the nearest pillow, tossing it at Ryuji’s head before glancing at Akira in exasperation. “Can you please keep your boyfriend on a leash?”

Akira shrugged, amusement written clear as day on his face. “I’ll try, but no promises.”

“Oh _come on_ , I’m a perfectly healthy teenage guy, can you blame me for staring??”

“ _Akira’s_ a perfectly healthy teenage guy, and _he’s_ got enough respect to not stare,” Ann replied with a huff as she sat down on her bed.

Ann wasn’t entirely sure why that prompted quiet laughter from Akira and an eye roll from Ryuji, but she wasn’t given much of an opportunity to dwell on it as Akira and Ryuji unintentionally responded in unison.

“Because I’m only attracted to Ryuji.” “Prolly ‘cuz he’s only attracted to me.”

There was a moment of silence, broken by Ann’s exclamation of “Oh my _god_ you two are so gay,” and immediately followed by the three of them dissolving into laughter.

“Okay, okay, seriously guys, we really need to go to sleep,” Ann said after a moment, a smile still on her face.

Ryuji yawned and stretched. “Yeah, good idea. I’m just gonna go shower and change real quick so I don’t gotta do it in the morning.”

“That’s probably for the best. Ms. Kawakami said to make sure you’re on time for roll call tomorrow morning.”

Ryuji shot Akira a wry look. “And just _whose_ fault was that, huh?”

Akira shrugged with an innocent smile. “I claim no responsibility for anything I was doing while asleep.”

Ryuji rolled his eyes but decided not to comment, instead grabbing a t-shirt and a pair of boxers from his luggage before heading into the bathroom.

Akira turned his attention over to Ann once he heard the shower running, giving her a smile as he asked, “So how’s Shiho doing?”

“She’s great!” Ann replied, immediately brightening up. “She loved the pictures you sent her of me, and she said she wishes she could be here.” Her expression died down slightly as she added, “I wish she could be here too. Shiho was looking forward to going on this trip so much….”

Akira moved over to sit next to Ann on the bed, smiling as she sighed and leaned against him. “I know, but at least she’s happy and safe at her new school. Things could have been a lot worse if she’d forced herself to stay at Shujin.”

“I know, I know.” Ann smiled weakly. “I’m just… I guess I’m a bit jealous, watching you and Ryuji--if it wasn’t for that jerk Kamoshida, me and her could’ve been spending our vacation together like you two.”

“But if it wasn’t for Kamoshida, we wouldn’t have the Phantom Thieves, and we wouldn’t have become friends,” Akira pointed out.

Ann brightened up slightly. “That’s true, yeah. And now we’re helping so many people… and we’re so popular, too! Can you believe Haru and I overheard some people talking about the Phantom Thieves all the way out here?”

“We’re becoming famous worldwide, huh,” Akira replied, chuckling softly. “Who would’ve thought that three outcasts and a not-cat getting back at a corrupt teacher would end up turning into something this huge?”

“I know, right? It’s almost scary how popular we became, and how quickly it happened--ever since the thing with Medjed, and then Okumura, it’s like we became some kind of overnight sensation.”

Akira paused briefly as he heard the shower turning off before returning his attention to Ann and nodding in agreement. “I’m a bit concerned, honestly,” he confessed. “It feels like we’re getting _too_ popular….”

“What’s wrong with getting popular?” Ryuji called out from the bathroom, moments before re-entering the room while towel-drying his hair. “Just means more people are recognizing that we’re the good guys, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, but…,” Akira hesitated, debating how much to say and how to say it before deciding on, “Well, the way I see it: the higher we’re lifted, the further we have to fall.”

“You think something bad’s going to happen?” Ann asked, her brows furrowed and the slightest hint of a concerned frown on her face.

Akira smiled weakly. “I might just be too paranoid, though. Don’t mind me.”

“Nah, you’re right though,” Ryuji replied, plopping himself down on the bed across from Akira and Ann. “Staying on our guard can’t hurt--we can’t afford to start tripping up now, not when things are going so good. Better to be safe than sorry, right?”

Akira’s expression relaxed in relief as he nodded. “Exactly.”

“Who would’ve thought that _Ryuji_ would be the one spouting words of wisdom about playing it safe?” Ann teased.

“Hey! I’m perfectly capable of being cautious when I gotta!”

Akira chuckled, standing up and moving to kiss Ryuji’s cheek before going over to his luggage. “I think that’s enough serious talk for tonight. I’m going to get changed, and then we should really get some sleep.”

“Fiiine, if our leader says so,” Ann replied with a smile, shifting to lay down on the bed and picking up her phone. “Just gotta text Shiho good night first, though.”

Ryuji laid down on his bed as well, raising an eyebrow as he glanced over at Ann. “Ain’t it like, morning or something back home right now though?”

Ann shrugged. “I’ll text her good night for me, and good morning for her, then.”

The quick “good night/good morning” text ended up taking the better part of ten minutes before Akira, now comfortably in bed with Ryuji, finally leaned over enough to shut off the small desk lamp next to Ann’s bed and shoot her a pointed look.

Ann stuck her tongue out at him in response but obeyed the unspoken request as she closed her phone and set it aside, the three of them quickly drifting off to sleep after a long day.

* * *

Their final day in Hawaii passed by in a blur: Akira and Ryuji spent the day together just the two of them, bumping into Yusuke during the afternoon and dragging him along to get food once the artist confessed to having spent the rest of his money on art supplies that he’d somehow managed to find in one of the local shops.

By the time the next morning rolled around and they were shepherded to the airport, Akira felt tired yet satisfied as he leaned against Ryuji, one hand letting go of his luggage to stifle a yawn while his other hand remained clasped in Ryuji’s.

“You think you’re gonna be okay for the flight going back?” Ryuji asked quietly.

“Mmhmm.” Akira gave Ryuji’s hand a light squeeze. “If _that person_ didn’t make their move while we were still in Japan, then there’s no way that they’ll be able to do anything while we’re here in America.” With a smile, he added, “Besides, as long as you’re with me, I’ll be okay.”

Ryuji blushed lightly and grinned. “Good, I’m glad.”

Going through security was an even more annoying hassle than it was in Japan, but thankfully they all made it through without any issues--and before Akira knew it he was sitting down on the plane with Ryuji right next to him, where Ryuji forewent the song and dance of avoiding drawing attention to them in favor of skipping straight to the part where he slipped an arm around Akira and pulled him against his side.

Needless to say, with all of his stress gone and with Ryuji pressed up against his side, it took hardly any time at all for Akira to pass out against his boyfriend in a peacefully-sleeping heap.

(Ryuji knew that there was going to be some kind of shit going down once they got home--what exactly it was, he had no idea, but if helping Akira rest up before the shit hit the fan was all that he could do for the moment, then screw what the rest of the people on the plane thought, he was going to let Akira stay curled up against his side for the entire flight.)

Taking the subway home while dragging along his luggage wasn’t exactly Akira’s idea of a fun evening after getting off a six hour flight, nor was he too thrilled about having to part ways with Ryuji after getting to spend three whole days practically glued to his boyfriend’s side, but he wouldn’t deprive Ryuji of having some alone time with his mother after not seeing her for the past few days--plus, he had his own family to reunite with.

“Yo, welcome back. You get tanned a bit?”

Akira smiled as he walked into the cafe and found Sojiro behind the counter, with Futaba sitting at one of the booths and Morgana sitting on top of one of the bar chairs.

“A bit, yeah.”

Futaba leaned forward with a smile. “So? How was Hawaii?”

Akira smiled teasingly and gave her the shaka sign as he replied, “Aloha.”

“ _He’s been influenced,_ ” Futaba gasped out in a mock-scandalized tone, prompting quiet laughter from Akira.

Akira opened up his bag of souvenirs, pulling out the bag of coffee beans and holding them out to Sojiro. “Here, a souvenir.”

“Some beans from over there, huh?” Sojiro smiled as he took the bag. “Thanks.”

“What about me?” Futaba moved over to Akira, trying to peek inside the bag and watching as he pulled out a tacky-colored floral print t-shirt with the word “ _Aloha!_ ” written in big letters. “Wow! It’s so hideous that I actually unironically love it.”

Akira couldn’t help but laugh a bit more unabashedly at that as he lightly ruffled her hair. “That’s what I thought you might say.”

“And what about me?” Morgana asked warily, his tone not expecting much despite his gaze lingering on the bag with obvious hope.

“Of course I wouldn’t forget you, Morgana.” Akira smiled as he pulled out the small tropical fish clip, showing it to Morgana before carefully fastening it onto his collar.

Futaba snickered. “A fish for a cat, that’s so perfect.”

Morgana huffed, though his smile was obvious through his tone as he quietly thanked Akira, moments before the television drew the attention of everyone in the room with a loud commercial advertising Phantom Thieves merchandise.

“Huh. I didn’t know they sold that kind of stuff,” Futaba commented absently.

“I guess they just started recently,” Akira replied with a shrug, before glancing at Sojiro and adding teasingly, “How about we join in and start serving some Phantom Thief-themed coffee and curry?”

Sojiro snorted in amusement. “Yeah right.”

“ _I wonder how our guests consider this recent phenomenon. What do you think, Akechi-kun?_ ”

Akira’s grip on his luggage handle tightened, and before Akechi could start talking, he plastered on a thin smile as he said, “Do you mind if I go upstairs and set my stuff down?”

“Oh sure, just come back down when you’re done and watch the place for me for a bit, will you?”

“Sure, no problem.”

Akira hastily made his way towards the stairs with his luggage, gritting his teeth as he tried to tune out Akechi’s voice coming from the television.

So much for feeling relaxed and content--but no, he couldn’t let himself get worked up just yet; better to save his energy for everything that would be coming up within the next few months.

(At the very least, he wanted to enjoy the remainder of tonight before he had to deal with the mess that would no doubt come tomorrow.)

Akira took his time as he began to unpack, waiting until he couldn’t hear Akechi’s voice anymore before making his way back downstairs, his hand in his pocket and his fingers lightly toying with the strap on his phone to keep himself focused as he switched with Sojiro behind the counter.

“So,” Futaba began after Sojiro left, leaning against the counter to speak to him in a hushed tone, “I did a little digging just like you asked, and I found something crazy big.”

“Yeah?” Akira replied distractedly as he put on his apron. “What did you find?”

“Mwehehe~ You’ll just have to wait to find out~” Futaba grinned. “Wanna gather everyone later?”

“I think everyone’s a bit jet lagged from the flight,” Akira replied wryly, stifling a yawn behind his hand before adding, “Myself included.”

Futaba pouted. “Boooo. Fine, how about tomorrow, then?”

Akira smiled humorlessly, knowing exactly what news would be in store for them come tomorrow--regardless of whether or not Futaba found anything, he knew that they would end up having to call an emergency meeting after school.

“Tomorrow it is. Go ahead and text the group to let them know.”

“Got it, Leader!” Futaba gave him a mock salute and plopped herself down onto one of the free bar chairs so she could take out her phone and text the group chat.

Akira turned his attention to the sink filled with dirty cups and plates as he felt his phone vibrating with texts in his pocket, trying to keep his hopes up even as his mind began racing.

He genuinely had no idea what to expect from this point onward--he was sure that by now the principal had been forced to have a mental shutdown, but after that… would things stay the same? Would they change drastically? What move would Shido and Akechi make next?

_Not knowing is completely normal,_ Akira reminded himself, letting out a quiet, shaky breath as he wiped one of his hands so he could slip it into his pocket, gripping the phone strap and idly toying with the charms until his spike of anxiety began to simmer down.

_Everything will be fine. Whatever happens, we’ll all get through it together._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NG+ x100 Akira is max knowledge, max guts, max proficiency, max kindness, max charm, and max anxiety--wait, was anxiety not a stat? Well it is now lmao
> 
> Credit for the idea for the turbulence scene goes to the Pegoryu Discord, who apparently felt like Akira didn't suffer enough at the beginning of the chapter lol


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait on this chapter! ;A; Real life's been a pain, plus I've been pouring pretty much all of my free time these past few weeks into working on writing oneshots for Pegoryu AU week (which starts tomorrow, so I just barely managed to finish them all in time lmao), but I promise I haven't forgotten about this fic!
> 
> This chapter might feel a bit boring because I pulled dialogue from like five different in-game scenes lmao but I promise there's also lots of new stuff that I threw in, so hopefully it balances out, and hopefully the chapter overall doesn't feel too disjointed or anything;;;
> 
> Enjoy!

Makoto knew as soon as she got home that something wasn’t right.

Sae was seated in front of her laptop, stress evident in her posture, the lines in her face, the bags under her eyes--yet she still plastered on a weak attempt at a smile when she looked over at Makoto, guilt welling up inside the younger girl even as she returned the smile.

“Welcome home,” Sae said.

“Thanks,” Makoto replied, before warily adding, “You’re still working? It’s late….”

Sae let out a long sigh, any attempts at lightheartedness immediately disappearing as weariness took over her expression. “Things have gotten a lot busier these past few days.” With more bitterness than she probably consciously meant to let slip, she added, “I unfortunately don’t have the luxury of taking three days to rest. You should enjoy your youth while you can.”

“Sis….” Makoto hesitated, mentally weighing her options before cautiously speaking. “Maybe you should at least take a few minutes to take your mind off of whatever you’re working on? You look really stressed--”

“I don’t have _time_ for that!” Sae snapped, before reeling herself back in with an apologetic expression as she tried again. “Unfortunately, as an adult, there will be times when you will accept an assignment for which failure is not tolerated. It’s all over for me if I can’t win this--this is my one chance to get a promotion; I don't have time to rest.”

“... What kind of case were you put on this time, if you don’t mind my asking?” Makoto asked cautiously, already getting a gut feeling what the answer would be even before Sae responded.

“I suppose you’ll be finding out tomorrow at school anyway, so it wouldn’t hurt to tell you now,” Sae murmured, before properly responding. “The principal of Shujin Academy has passed away. He suddenly stopped while crossing the road and was struck by a large vehicle. Death by external trauma.” Sae’s gaze fell as she added, “On the surface, they’re ruling it as a suicide, but… a calling card was found in his office.”

Makoto’s eyes widened in shock, a hand moving up to cover her mouth as dread washed over her. “Principal Kobayakawa is… and a calling card? Are you saying that the police think the _Phantom Thieves_ killed him?” She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from shouting that they would never, that that’s _impossible_ because they hadn’t even been in _Japan_ when this happened--

“It’s the most likely case,” Sae responded, turning her gaze back down to her laptop and speaking distractedly as she went back to typing. “The matter of the calling card is being kept under wraps for now--”

(Makoto let out a quiet sigh of relief at that, unnoticed by Sae)

“--but we’re investigating the possibility that the Phantom Thieves were behind Okumura’s sudden silence as well as this case. My research into the connection between the possibility of human-induced mental shutdowns and all of the recent psychotic breakdowns is why they entrusted me with this task--we’re suspecting that Kamoshida, Madarame, and Kaneshiro were all failed cases of attempted mental shutdowns like Okumura; it’s just a matter of figuring out why Okumura was threatened to silence when the others were let go. Once I have that figured out, the next step is finding and catching the Phantom Thieves themselves.”

“ _Failed_ \-- Sis, they had _changes of heart_ , they weren’t _failed mental shutdown_ cases! Saying things like that… are you saying that the Phantom Thieves are behind all of the mental shutdowns?”

“That seems like the most likely possibility, yes.” Sae glanced up at Makoto with a raised eyebrow. “Why are you getting so worked up? Don’t tell me you’re one of their fans too.” Before Makoto could so much as stammer out some sort of response, Sae let out an annoyed sigh and turned her attention back to her laptop. “Please remember that in the end they’re _criminals_ , ‘changes of heart’ or not, and they’ve reached the point of becoming a national threat.” With a shake of her head and an annoyed frown tugging at the corners of her lips, she added, “Anyway, instead of wasting time following the public’s ridiculous trends, you should be studying and preparing for entrance exams. Have you been on top of your studies?”

“... Of course, sis,” Makoto responded weakly, still reeling as she shakily made her way towards her bedroom as she said, “I’m feeling a bit jet lagged, so I think I’m going to go to bed early. I did all of my assignments on the plane ride home.”

Sae nodded in approval, her gaze not moving away from her computer. “I’ll be staying out late from now on, so don’t wait up for me. I’ll be eating dinner out as well.”

“Alright… good night, sis.”

“Good night, Makoto.”

Makoto made her way into her bedroom, closing the door behind her before leaning back against it, her face pale.

_This isn’t good… I have to let everyone know--_

The buzzing of her phone in her pocket pulled Makoto from her thoughts, and she opened her phone to find that Futaba had called for a group meeting tomorrow with the promise of exciting news.

Letting out a quiet breath, Makoto responded that she had some news to share as well, so a group meeting tomorrow would be perfect.

(No sense in breaking this kind of news to everyone while they were still exhausted from the trip home. Discussing all of this in person would be better anyway.)

* * *

The air in the attic was thick with tension as the group gathered, the news of Principal Kobayakawa’s suicide weighing almost as heavy on them as the bombshell that Makoto dropped once they were all together.

“The SIU… is after us?” Haru asked quietly, her face pale.

“Wait, wait, back up a sec,” Ryuji said, glancing around warily. “What’s the SIU? And why’s this such a big deal?”

“SIU stands for Special Investigations Unit: they’re an elite team that deal with huge cases like government scandals,” Makoto explained.

Futaba hugged her knees to her chest, a pensive frown on her face as she added, “Crazy thing is, they haven’t lost a case against a suspect in like, fifty years. If they come after you, you’re screwed--they’re the best investigation force in Japan.”

Ryuji swallowed thickly. “Well, shit….”

“Doesn’t this countermeasure seem somewhat extreme?” Yusuke asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“At this point, I don’t think it matters whether it’s too extreme or not--we’re just way too famous at this point,” Makoto replied with a frown. “They can’t afford to ignore us any longer, not when the public is making such a huge deal of us.”

“So what, because the public is starting to see us as heroes instead of criminals, the government is stepping in to try and prove that we’re not the heroes that everyone thinks we are?” Ann asked skeptically.

“They have to try and regain order somehow; it wouldn’t reflect well on them if we keep changing the hearts of corrupt people in power,” Akira said with a frown. “Given that it’s the SIU on the case, they’ve probably already narrowed down potential suspects by now, especially given how much attention Shujin’s been getting.”

Ryuji paled. “Dude, for real?! Isn’t that, like, _really_ bad for us??”

Futaba waved a hand flippantly. “Don’t worry--even if they narrow down their suspects, there’s no way they could get any evidence.”

“I’m sure they’re frantically searching for some as we speak, though,” Makoto added with a frown. “It’s only a matter of time.”

“E… everything’s going to be fine!” Morgana replied, trying to sound more confident than he felt. “Unless they know about the Metaverse, there’s no way they’ll get any info on us.”

“Yeah, you guys are worrying too much!” Futaba added, leaning forward in her seat to reach for her laptop on Akira's desk as she added, “Anyway, let’s try and lighten up the mood a bit, shall we?”

“Oh, yes, that’s right… you had something to share with us as well, didn’t you?” Makoto asked.

“Mwehehe~” Futaba grinned, purposely lifting her glasses so they gleamed in the dim attic lighting. “You guys are gonna be so amazed~ So you all remember the whole Medjed thing, right?”

She waited until the group gave various signs of agreement before continuing.

“And you know about that new ranking thing that just went up on the Phansite about a week or two ago, right?”

Again, she waited until receiving nods and murmurs of agreement before continuing.

“Weeeell, Akira told me to do a bit of digging with the Medjed thing on a hunch--said that the stuff got wrapped up a bit too neatly, which I thought he was just being paranoid about, buuuuuuut….”

She paused for dramatic effect before continuing once more.

“Turns out he was on to something after all: the coding that Medjed was using? It was all super basic stuff--like, almost to an insulting level for someone who used my old name. Whoever did it clearly didn’t have any sort of passion for coding--and get this!” Futaba sat up slightly as she typed away at her laptop, pulling up two separate screens and pointing to them as if the language on either one meant anything to anyone other than her. “I thought that the numbers on that ranking thing were like, crazy huge for a feature that was literally just added, so I dug through the website and found traces of the _same coding_ as on the Medjed site!”

“Uh, could’ja like… explain why that’s a big deal in a language that we understand, maybe?” Ryuji asked, scratching the back of his head with a perplexed expression.

“I believe she means to say that there’s a connection between the people behind the Medjed incident, and these new rankings for potential targets,” Yusuke responded.

Futaba grinned. “See, Inari gets it!”

“But wait, what’s wrong with the rankings?” Ann frowned. “And why would the person behind Medjed have something to do with that?”

“To manipulate the Phantom Thieves,” Akira replied, the group all turning to look at their leader as he spoke. “Medjed was a test, probably to see how we would react to being in the public eye, and how the public would react to us in return. Now that the public is crazy for us, normally we wouldn’t think twice about getting a lot of attention on the Phansite--it’s the perfect cover for them to subtly push us towards a target of their choosing.”

“But why would they want to do that? Does that mean they’re helping us?” Haru asked.

Akira smiled wryly. “If only everyone were that kind. No, my guess is that they want to either push a target onto us that would cause our reputation to plummet if we were to change their heart, or, more likely, to push a target onto us that the black masked man could be ready and waiting to kill when our backs are turned, just like he tried to do with your father.”

Haru’s eyes widened in shock, and there were a few sharp breaths and irritated mutters throughout the group as they took in everything Akira said.

Akira took that moment to glance over at the staircase as he added with a smile, “But I’m not the detective here, so how about we ask a professional? Goro, what’s your opinion?”

The room fell into stunned silence as the weight of Akira’s casual question sunk in, moments before a sheepish laugh followed.

“I guess you caught me. I should have known better than to think you wouldn’t notice.”

Akechi made his way up the rest of the stairs, a pleasant smile on his face in stark contrast to the mixed looks of dread and outrage that he was met with.

“My, this is quite the unusual group you’ve gathered, Kurusu-kun. Even I never would have expected all of you to be the famous Phantom Thieves.”

“ _You--!!_ ”

Akira’s hand gripping Ryuji’s shoulder was the only thing that prevented him from springing up to his feet and rushing at the detective--and that grounding touch was enough to remind him that if Akira couldn’t get the first swing in at that goddamn pretty-boy’s face, then Ryuji had no right to do it for him.

Thankfully, however, Ryuji had made it completely clear from day one that he hated Akechi’s guts, so him being irate over the detective’s sudden appearance didn’t call any unusual attention to himself.

(God, Ryuji could only imagine how badly Akira was seething inside, behind the calm smile on his face--the almost bruising grip that didn’t move off of his shoulder seemed to be more to keep Akira himself grounded than to prevent Ryuji from attacking Akechi.)

“Sorry,” the detective apologized with a small, embarrassed smile. “It really wasn’t my intention to eavesdrop--I came by to see if Kurusu-kun was free, and Sakura-san said that he was up here…. I was going to leave when I heard talking, but I suppose my detective instincts kicked in instead.”

Akira smirked. “Detectives and thieves are just two sides of the same coin, in the end.”

“An interesting perspective,” Akechi replied with an amused look. “Considering the circumstances, I suppose I have no right to argue there.”

“Well?” Makoto interrupted, her tone clipped and her expression cold. “You wouldn’t have let Akira call you out if there wasn’t something that you wanted to say to us.”

“Straight to the point, I see--you really are Sae-san’s sister.”

The glare that Akechi received could have frozen molten lava, yet the detective remained unperturbed by both that and the expressions of wariness and anger fixed on him, all silently waiting to hear what he would have to say.

(Akira’s expression was the only one pleasant, patient, as if silently telling Akechi “ _it’s okay, they’re just nervous, they’re not actually angry with you,_ ” and Akechi’s gaze seemed to unconsciously gravitate towards it.)

“Well, about what you all were discussing earlier--regarding Sae-san’s investigation, I mean.” Akechi frowned slightly. “Loathe as I am to admit it, I’m in agreement with you: her methods are far too extreme, even given the circumstances. Honestly, I feel that she’s been on a dangerous path for quite some time now, and has only gotten worse instead of better as of late.”

“What do you mean?” Yusuke asked, his expression almost as calm as Akira’s, with only the slightest hints of guarded wariness peeking through as he watched the detective’s every move.

Akechi sighed. “Well, you see, earlier today….”

* * *

_“... I can’t believe this.” Sae scowled at her laptop, her brows furrowed in agitation. “The public believes in the justice of the Phantom Thieves. They have no interest in that principal.”_

_Akechi sighed, his gaze downcast. “I’m experiencing equal levels of frustration. My comments on TV turned everyone against me.” With the slightest hint of a smile, he added, “Then again, I won’t allow mere criticism to break my spirit so easily.”_

_Sae looked up at him with a determined expression. “We won’t keep letting ourselves be defeated either. My suspicion after the hacker’s case last month and Okumura’s subsequent failed press conference is now conviction thanks to the principal’s death.” She narrowed her eyes. “The mental shutdown cases and the psychotic breakdowns are surely the Phantom Thieves’ doing.”_

_Akechi hummed in thought. “The data that you showed me last month, about Okumura Foods… is that the basis for these beliefs?”_

_Sae nodded. “There have been frequent occurrences of mental shutdowns surrounding Okumura for the past few months. The fact that he was silenced at his own press conference, just when he was about to reveal vital information… it had to have been the Phantom Thieves. They were making a name for themselves in the public eye to take attention away from the mental shutdowns, and Okumura was going to ruin that by revealing their identities.”_

_“Doesn’t that seem like a bit of a stretch?” Akechi frowned. “This hasn't been the first time recently that you've acted on theories without solid evidence--telling a man that you would terminate his parental authority based purely on your speculation... I’m surprised you would say such a thing to the owner of a cafe you frequent.”_

_Sae’s eyes narrowed. “It’s all for the sake of the case.”_

_Akechi shook his head in disapproval. “You may have the backing of the SIU’s director… but you’ve been far too aggressive, Sae-san.”_

_“I’ve been officially given the task of bringing the Phantom Thieves to justice,” Sae replied. “I can’t afford to take this lightly, not when there’s so much at stake.”_

_“I suppose you have your reasons, in the end,” Akechi acquiesced with a sigh, before furrowing his brows in thought. “But before you can make any further progress, you’ll first need to figure out what methods the Phantom Thieves are using. That’s the only thing that’s been preventing the police from making a move as well.”_

_“This opponent can’t be caught by following the rules,” Sae replied sharply. “What need is there to stick to formalities?”_

_Akechi tensed, his eyes narrowing. “So you wish to ignore protocol in order to reform society? I hope you realize that’s no different than what the Phantom Thieves are doing.”_

_There was a moment of silence as the two stared each other down, before Akechi gave in as he sighed and dropped his gaze._

_“It’s a shame, especially since we both want to capture the culprit behind the psychotic breakdowns….”_

_Shaking his head slightly as he received nothing but silence in response, Akechi turned around and walked off._

* * *

“... Admittedly, I’d considered giving her a helping hand with regards to the methods the Phantom Thieves used, but I’m honestly glad I didn’t,” Akechi concluded. “I wasn’t exactly expecting to get to talk with you all like this so soon after speaking with Sae-san either, but perhaps this was fate.”

Makoto pursed her lips, digesting everything that Akechi said and mentally picking it apart before replying, “You say that as if you already have an idea of the methods in question.”

Akechi laughed softly. “I wouldn’t have been so bold to approach all of you if I didn’t.” He pulled out his phone and opened up a video before turning the phone to face all of them, revealing to the group video evidence of them disappearing into the Metaverse.

“That’s-- that ain’t real!” Ryuji stammered out weakly.

“Oh, but it is,” Akechi replied with a smile, glancing at Futaba as he saw her inching towards her laptop and adding, “And if you’re thinking of finding a way to delete the video, just know that I’ve already backed it up to an external drive, so no one but myself can have access to it.”

“Tch.” Futaba frowned, eyeing the detective with clear disdain as she was called out.

“Anyway, let’s cut to the chase, shall we: all of you can go to that other world too, yes?”

Akira met Akechi’s gaze as he replied, “Other world… so I assume you’ve been there as well?”

“Yes, though only fairly recently compared to you all, I’m sure,” Akechi confessed. “Your appearances change once you enter that world as well, yes?” He didn’t wait for a response this time, instead pressing on with a frown. “It’s because of those mysterious powers, isn’t it?”

Akechi pulled his phone out once more, showing them the Meta-Nav as he continued speaking. “This odd application appeared on my phone, about one month ago--around the time when I first took the video of you all entering that strange world. It seems to have somehow been installed without my knowledge.”

The group couldn’t hide their expressions of shock as they stared at the familiar navigation app on Akechi’s phone.

“The Meta-Nav… _Akechi_ has it…?” Ann murmured.

Akechi pocketed his phone. “When the app activated on its own, the scenery around me suddenly changed. Quite frankly, I still can’t believe it myself.” With the slightest hint of a smile, he added, “But from the look of the video I took, all of you seem quite used to it.”

“Alright, look, just cut the crap already-- we’ve been listening to you go on ‘n’ on about all this shit, but this ain’t got nothing to do with--”

Akechi cut Ryuji off with a flippant wave of his hand. “There’s no point in trying to deny it this late in the game, Sakamoto-kun. All of you are acting as Phantom Thieves in the Metaverse--I can say so with conviction because I have the same power as you.”

“... I see,” Akira murmured, his expression calm in contrast to the varied looks of surprise on the rest of the group’s face. He gave Akechi a smile as he added, “If you don’t mind my asking, Goro… how did you discover the name of that ‘strange world’, when you only just learned of its existence recently?”

There was the slightest twitch in Akechi’s expression, something that you could only notice if you were looking for it, before Akechi laughed softly. “Kurusu-kun, you should know me better than that by now. I’ve had a month to do some digging; of course I was able to find some basic information on the Metaverse, though most of it was merely theoretical in nature.”

“Well, like you said, there’s no point in denying it now,” Akira replied with a shrug, much to the surprise of his team. “What matters now is what your next move is going to be. Will you arrest us, now that you know who we are?”

“I _could_ , but honestly…,” Akechi trailed off, his expression turning slightly uncertain as he hesitantly continued, “As much as I disagree with your methods, I do believe that--compared to Sae-san’s accusations, at least--you are more or less innocent.”

“Oh? That’s quite the softened stance you’re taking, Mister Detective,” Akira teased lightly, a hint of a smirk on his face. “Did you have a _change of heart_ , perhaps?”

Akechi laughed lightly. “Nothing so grand, no. As I said, I still disagree with your methods--I’m merely _more_ in disagreement with Sae-san’s methods at the moment.”

Akira adjusted his glasses, an amused smirk still on his face. “‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend,’ then?”

“In simple terms, yes.” Akechi turned his attention back to the group as a whole as he continued. “Sae-san’s heart is in the right place, but she’s grown hasty and desperate, especially since the SIU director pushed the task of capturing the Phantom Thieves onto her. She’s… someone that I highly respect, and it admittedly unsettles me to see her acting this way.”

Makoto frowned. “... I’m not happy about it, but I do agree with you--there’s something wrong with Sis; she’s always been determined to do the right thing, but I’ve never seen her acting so recklessly. Honestly, I’m less worried about her discovering us, and more worried about what will happen if she _doesn’t_.”

“Yes, that certainly is a cause for concern,” Akechi replied with a troubled frown.

“Would Niijima-san not discovering us really be that bad?” Haru asked tentatively.

“Yeah, wouldn’t it be a good thing if she doesn’t find us out?” Ann added with a confused frown.

Yusuke frowned. “I believe that in cases like this, it wouldn’t be unheard of for authorities to forge confessions if a genuine confession isn’t acquired.”

“Wait, you’re saying if she doesn’t find out about us, she’ll just frame someone else??” Ryuji asked incredulously. “Dude, what the hell, that’s fucked up!”

“I hate to say it, but Kitagawa-kun is exactly right,” Akechi replied with a sigh. “I would prefer to not see someone I respect go down that road, but as things stand… it’s more likely than you’d think.”

“For real…?” Ryuji leaned back slightly on the bed, his expression frustrated. “What the hell are we supposed to do, then?”

“We change Sae-san’s heart.”

The entire group looked over at Akechi in surprise, who smiled hesitantly in response. “That… is how it works, correct? You pick a corrupted target, and force them to acknowledge their mistakes--loathe as I am to admit, Sae-san won’t listen to logic anymore. If an extreme method like this is the only option there is to returning Sae-san to the colleague that I admire and learned so much from, then I’ll do whatever I can to assist you all--on one condition.”

“You want us to disband the Phantom Thieves after we change her heart?” Akira replied.

Akechi smiled. “I really do wish you would agree to work as my partner, Kurusu-kun--you’re far too sharp to be wasting your talents doing dubious work like this.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, Akechi-kun,” Makoto interrupted with a frown, “It seems that you don’t agree with my sister’s stance regarding the Phantom Thieves--is there any reason in particular that you believe that we aren’t the kind of criminals that she’s making us out to be? I highly doubt you would offer to work with us if you believed we were responsible for the mental shutdowns.”

“Ah, yes… you’re certainly right--if I believed you all were responsible for the mental shutdowns as Sae-san believes, I would have arrested you all on the spot,” Akechi agreed. “The reason I’m able to say with conviction that you _aren’t_ responsible for the mental shutdowns… is because I saw the real culprit for myself.”

Akechi’s confession was met with another round of surprised expressions and exclamations, though Ryuji’s incredulous look was for a slightly different reason.

(Akira squeezed his shoulder, a silent reminder: _Be quiet, don’t say anything, don’t even_ **_hint_ ** _that you know what’s really going on no matter how much you want to call him out--_ )

(Ryuji could almost physically _feel_ how important this moment was, and he bit his tongue to force himself to stay quiet, not wanting to so much as risk putting any of them in danger by letting anything slip.)

“No way…,” Futaba murmured.

“Who was it?!” Ann demanded.

Akechi let out a regretful sigh. “I couldn’t identify his face… he had a mask on, after all.” He frowned. “When I first took that video of you all, I was pulled into that world as well. That’s when I saw someone else moving about, besides all of you.” Akechi’s expression darkened slightly. “He shot at me the moment he noticed me.”

“That’s the person that tried to kill my father…?” Haru murmured.

“Most likely,” Akechi agreed. “At the very least, _I_ was almost killed by him.” His eyes closed briefly in recollection as he murmured, “ _‘I can’t die here… I need to determine the truth…._ ’” When he reopened his eyes, there was the briefest glimpse of a cold hardness there, but the look was gone as quick as it came. “When those thoughts overcame me, I awakened to that power--a most fortunate accident.”

“This guy has a Persona too…?”

Akechi’s eyes widened at the new voice, his expression bewildered as his gaze shifted over to the cat sitting next to Haru on the couch. “This cat… I swear it just _talked_ …!”

( _Someone give the guy an academy award,_ Akira wryly thought to himself.)

There was a moment of hesitant silence before Ann stepped forward.

“His name’s Morgana. He’s our teammate who taught us about the Metaverse.”

Akechi recoiled slightly with a shocked expression. “R… really? This is unbelievable….” He hesitated before adding, “But it _is_ true that you know things that I don’t….” Seeming to make up his mind on the matter, his expression turned serious as he properly faced the cat. “Say, Morgana. Were you also the one who instructed them on how to change people’s hearts? I experienced that world too, but I still haven’t solved that mystery yet.”

Morgana hopped up onto the arm of the couch, his back straight as he looked up at the detective. “We go into the Metaverse--we call them Palaces--to steal the core of their desires: their Treasure. And those whose Treasure has been stolen have a change of heart.”

Akechi gave a weak laugh in response, a hand moving to run over his face. “... There’s certainly no way anyone could figure out such an MO.” He took a breath, letting it out slowly as he seemed to digest this new information before his expression turned serious once more. “In any case, though I don’t completely understand the method, all you do is simply reform people--a far cry from what Sae-san is accusing you all of, as I suspected. I can’t overlook such a grave mistake--thus, my offer. I wish to help Sae-san, but… I would be lying if I said that that was all I wished to gain from this temporary alliance.”

“You want to bring the black masked man to justice,” Akira replied, and Ryuji had to bite his tongue extra hard in order to stop himself from letting out an incredulous noise from the sheer irony of the suggestion.

Akechi laughed softly, smiling fondly at Akira as he replied, “Right again, Kurusu-kun. I’m impressed.”

“I just know you that well, Goro~” Akira teased, prompting the slightest hint of a blush from the detective as he coughed into his hand.

“In any case… that’s exactly it: I wish to find the true culprit behind the mental shutdowns and bring him to justice. Unfortunately, I don’t have the power nor the knowledge or experience to navigate the Metaverse on my own, and I doubt I would be much of a match for him if we crossed paths once more. Not to mention… since Sae-san has become so adamant about chasing down the Phantom Thieves, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to believe that she might end up eventually finding herself tangled up in this mess as well--and if that happens… I fear the masked man may target her as well.”

Makoto’s eyes widened. “You think he’ll go after my sister next…?”

“With how deeply she’s been digging into the mental shutdown cases, I believe it’s only a matter of time,” Akechi replied regretfully. “I wish to help her, and I wish to capture the true culprit--in exchange for your assistance and your agreement to disband the Phantom Thieves after this case is closed, I will do everything I can to help clear your name with the police and the SIU.”

“And if we refuse?” Yusuke asked, his eyes narrowing.

“Then I suppose I’ll just have to inform the police about all of you, along with that video I showed you,” Akechi replied airily.

Akira’s grip wasn’t enough to stop Ryuji from shooting up to his feet in anger as he exclaimed, “This ain’t no deal! It’s _blackmail!!_ ”

Akechi’s eyes narrowed as he turned to look at him. “Say what you will. This is the method that I believe is correct. The justice I uphold will not tolerate criminals who kill people at their leisure.”

A heavy silence filled the room at that, only broken as Akira gently pulled Ryuji back down to sit next to him before speaking.

“Would you mind giving us some time to talk all of this over?”

Akechi’s expression relaxed into an understanding smile as he nodded. “Of course. You don’t have to decide at the moment--considering the urgency of the situation, a response sooner rather than later would be preferable of course, but… well, considering this is _you_ we’re talking about, I have no doubts that you’ll come to a favorable reply in the end.”

(Ryuji inwardly gagged at the saccharine sweetness that oozed from Akechi’s tone, his temper flaring--and he belatedly realized that Akira had forced him to sit back down knowing that Ryuji would get irritated by Akechi’s response, Akira’s hand having found its way back onto Ryuji’s arm at some point to ground them both.)

Akira returned Akechi’s smile with one of his own. “I’ll text you once we come to an agreement, okay?”

“Yes, I believe that’s more than fair. I look forward to your answer.”

With that, Akechi politely bid them all good night and began making his way downstairs--and all it took was a glance from Akira for Futaba to quickly pull up the cameras on her laptop, letting out a relieved sigh when she saw him leave.

“He’s gone,” she confirmed, before dropping her gaze and adding guiltily, “I’m sorry, I got so distracted talking that I wasn’t even thinking to check the cameras--”

“It’s okay Futaba, it wasn’t your fault,” Akira reassured her, fighting to keep an amused grin off of his face as he added, “I had no idea he'd show up at such a convenient time, but I realized he was listening in--and to think, _he_ was the one to suggest changing Sae's heart!”

The group stared at Akira incredulously as he let a quiet laugh slip out--only Ryuji seemed unfazed, a slight frown on his face as he lightly elbowed Akira.

“Dude, if this was the time that you were waiting for, then I think you’d better just start talking before everyone starts getting the wrong idea.”

Makoto’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the two of them. “What is this about?”

Akira’s expression fell as he glanced at Ryuji, relaxing slightly as Ryuji took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Right. He told himself that he would do this after Akechi approached them--there was no more pushing it off.

He just hoped that everyone would be as understanding as Ryuji had been.

“To be honest… there’s something I haven’t told you guys,” Akira started off slowly. “Not because I didn’t trust you, of course--I was just waiting for the right moment, and now that we’ve reached this point… well, I don’t have any proper reason to keep this information from you all any longer. Whether you believe me or not is entirely up to you, though.”

Akira could see that he had everyone’s attention, and Ryuji’s presence beside him--strong, warm, a reminder that no matter what everything would be okay--was the only thing that prevented Akira from panicking and backpedaling out of the conversation entirely.

( _“Did you ruin everything by telling me?”_

_“... No….”_

_“Then why would you ruin everything by telling them?”_ )

(Akira kept repeating Ryuji’s blunt reassurance in his mind like a mantra--confessing everything to Ryuji had ended up being one of the best decisions he’d made over the entirety of the past one hundred years, so there was no reason for the decision to tell the rest of the group to not go just as well.)

So Akira began to speak, recounting everything for his friends: confessing to being trapped, repeating the same year over and over again at least one hundred times over by now; everything that happened in the first time loop, how they overcame everything together only for Akira to find himself one year in the past, having to redo everything and rebuild all the relationships he’d built up from scratch; the memories all piling on top of each other, the burden growing heavier and heavier with each forced repeat of the same year; searching for ways to break himself out of the loop, searching for ways to feel like _something_ was changing, his desperation growing and his actions becoming more reckless….

And Akechi.

As soon as the name left Akira’s lips, Ryuji immediately tightened his grip on Akira’s hand, though it was hard to say whether it was out of anger on his own part or out of a desire to keep Akira grounded--regardless, he immediately saw the shift in Akira’s eyes, his expression growing more and more manic as he recounted every last death, every last betrayal, and the _manipulation_ that left half of the group shaking and the other half seething.

“ _Akira._ ”

Yusuke’s sharp tone caused Akira to pause, and only then did he come back to his senses enough to glance over and see that Futaba was trembling, her face pressed against Yusuke’s back and her hands shakily gripping his shirt.

With a murmured apology, Akira pushed on, focusing on the more important points: preventing Shiho from jumping off the roof by pushing her to transfer; rushing Futaba’s palace so she wouldn’t have to suffer for a whole extra month while working up the courage to ask for help; preventing Haru’s father from having a mental shutdown; and, most importantly, Akechi’s ultimatum.

“Morgana already figured it out,” Akira said, the cat in question flinching slightly in surprise as he was singled out. “Ryuji did too,” Akira added with a small, proud smile that made Ryuji blush.

“Wouldn’t have figured it out if you didn’t mention the whole pancakes thing,” Ryuji pointed out.

“Pancakes… _oh!_ ” Ann’s eyes widened. “You mean at the TV station?”

Morgana nodded, his eyes narrowing. “Akechi had to have heard my comment back then--I was the only one that mentioned anything about pancakes at the time. He slipped up.”

Akira nodded, rising to his feet and moving over to his bag as he added, “And in case all of that isn’t enough… I had Ohya--the journalist that we met while looking into Madarame--do a bit of digging, so I could have some proof to show you all regarding the true mastermind, and Akechi’s connection to him.”

Akira passed the papers to Makoto, trusting her to glean the important information from them and summarize it for the rest of the team.

“This is…!” Makoto’s eyes widened as her eyes scanned the papers once, twice, three times before finally looking over at Akira, her face pale. “Is this really the kind of person that we’ve made an enemy of…?”

“Who is it?” Haru asked, her expression worried.

Makoto turned her attention to the group as a whole as she replied, “One of the candidates running for Prime Minister… Masayoshi Shido.”

“ _Prime Minister?_ ” Ryuji asked incredulously. “What the hell? Why would someone like that wanna mess with us?”

“It gets worse,” Makoto said, her gaze dropping back down to the papers in her hands as she continued. “Apparently, he had a hand in the research on cognitive psience, and the subsequent disappearance of all of the findings.”

“... Mom…!” Futaba’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, her expression both furious and grief-stricken. “That means _he’s_ the one…!”

Makoto fell silent for a moment, her expression sympathetic, before forcing herself to continue. “Akechi-kun… it seems that he’s related to Shido--an illegitimate son, whose existence was covered up to prevent a scandal.”

“But why would Akechi be helping Shido…?” Ann questioned. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Simple,” Akira replied. “He wants revenge--he wants the satisfaction of helping to build Shido up to his full glory, only to pull the rug out from under his feet and watch him fall.”

“And what about you, Akira?” Haru’s soft question caught Akira off-guard as he looked over at her. “You understand his desire for revenge very well, clearly--is that something you want as well?”

Akira laughed quietly, leaning back on the bed and refusing to look at anyone as he stared up at the ceiling and spoke. “I’d love to pretend to be the better person, to say ‘no, of course not, revenge is wrong and doesn’t solve anything’--but… well, I haven’t been the kind, naive ‘Akira’ that would genuinely feel that way in a long, _long_ time.” Akira grinned darkly. “They say ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’, but I decided it might be fun to take things one step further--and would you believe it, it’s actually working!” He laughed again, his body continuing to shake long after his chuckles died down. “Akechi’s falling for me, and it’s disgustingly satisfying to see just how easily I can wrap him around my finger. I’m going to make him stare me in the eyes as he puts a gun to my head, I’ll make him confess to loving someone that he knows he can never have, I’ll make him live with the knowledge that he lost everything he only just started to hold dear _just like he took everything from me again and again and_ **_again_ ** _\--_ ”

Akira was cut off by a hand shakily grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him into a rough kiss, snapping him out of it and easing the tension out of his frame.

“You alright now?” Ryuji asked warily after pulling back.

Akira let out a breath and nodded. “... Sorry. Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.”

“That’s… wow,” Ann spoke up, breaking the silence from the rest of the team. “I mean… I get where you’re coming from, but that was….”

“Scary,” Futaba murmured.

Akira winced, feeling both relieved and guilty as Ryuji immediately took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Can you blame him, though?” Ryuji argued. “I think anyone would’ve snapped by now after going through half the shit that Akira’s been through.”

“You seem awfully used to Akira having these kinds of outbursts, though,” Yusuke commented thoughtfully.

“Ryuji already knew about all of this,” Akira replied. “He’s known for months now.”

If there was any way to get everyone’s attention off of Akira, that was apparently it: the entire group rounded on Ryuji in shock, and Ryuji scowled and blushed lightly in embarrassment.

“Of course I knew, Akira’s my boyfriend for fuck’s sake! Why the hell’s that such a big deal?”

“It’s just surprising that you didn’t slip up at all about it,” Morgana commented, prompting an annoyed look from Ryuji.

“I’m perfectly capable of keeping my mouth shut when I’ve gotta!”

Akira’s lips twitched upward in amusement as the entire group looked at Ryuji with varied levels of skepticism, and he laughed softly as Ryuji let out an annoyed groan and plopped himself back down on the bed.

“I hate all of you. Bunch’a jerks.”

Akira lifted their entwined hands and pressed a kiss to Ryuji’s knuckles before looking at the group as he said, “Please don’t tease him too badly. Ryuji really has done an incredible job of keeping quiet about this, and I’m so grateful and proud of him for it--he’s even covered up one or two of my own slip ups.”

“I might just have to change my opinion of you, Ryuji!” Morgana said. “I’m impressed!”

Ryuji huffed, fighting a smile as he replied, “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

“No, seriously, that’s really impressive,” Ann added. “This is huge, I don’t think I would’ve been able to keep something like this to myself.”

There were various murmurs of agreement from the rest of the group, prompting an embarrassed blush on Ryuji’s face that darkened as he looked up at Akira to find him proudly smiling at him.

“Alright, fine, I get it, now let’s just go back to focusing on the important stuff!” Ryuji exclaimed as he sat back up. “What the hell are we doing about Makoto’s sister, anyway? Shouldn’t we be figuring that out?”

“Oh, we’re going to accept Akechi’s proposal and go through Sae’s palace with him,” Akira replied airily, much to the startled surprise of the rest of the team. “Of course,” he added with a vicious, Joker-esque smirk, “that doesn’t mean we’re going to let him win.”

He leaned forward on the bed, everyone else unconsciously leaning towards him as well as he began to speak.

“We've outsmarted him before, and we'll outsmart him again. Here's what we have to do.”

* * *

It was well past closing time by the time Akira finished relaying everything to his teammates: Akechi’s plan, and their own countermeasures to dealing with it, step by step without missing a single detail.

They couldn’t afford any mistakes. Everyone agreed, much to Akira’s relief (and he certainly wasn’t tearing up), that they wanted to do everything in their power to make sure that Akira didn’t have to live through another repeat of this year ever again, no matter what kinds of extra precautions they had to take to assure that everything would go smoothly.

(Ryuji grinned, kissing his cheek and declaring a proud, “Told’ja everything would turn out okay” that prompted genuine, happy laughter from Akira as he smiled and leaned against him, feeling so incredibly grateful once again for his supportive boyfriend--and for his supportive group of friends, who could have chosen to brush off everything he said as a fit of insanity but instead wholeheartedly accepted every last word, even if it pained them or scared them.)

(Of course, that didn’t mean that they were happy that he’d kept this from them for so long, either, but he promised to make it up to each and every last one of them--Futaba and Ann already both had long lists of things that they wanted him to buy them as an apology; he’d promised to buy Morgana expensive sushi for the rest of the year; he promised to help Yusuke with his next project (and buy him all brand new supplies, which the artist had insisted that he didn’t need to do); he offered to help Makoto with student council work whenever she needed a break; and he even offered to help Haru with her gardening for the rest of the year, even if she hadn’t been kept in the dark as long the rest of the group had.)

Yusuke carefully eased Futaba up in her seat as she began dozing off and falling forward against him, before turning his attention over to Akira and saying, “I believe it would be best to end things here for tonight--it is getting late.”

Futaba yawned and stretched. “Mm… yeah, I wanna go to bed. We can talk more tomorrow.”

Ryuji pulled out his phone and looked at the time with a grimace. “Damn, I didn’t even realize how late it was….”

“We have school tomorrow, too,” Makoto reminded them, prompting groans from both Ryuji and Ann.

“Don’t worry, I can arrange for my driver to drop all of you off at home, so you don’t have to take the train so late,” Haru suggested with a smile.

“You’re a lifesaver!” Ann grinned, standing up and stretching while Haru pulled out her phone to call her driver.

A few minutes later, and the group began making their way downstairs, bidding good night to Sojiro who sat on one of the bar stools with an expression that Akira realized right away meant trouble--yet no one else seemed to pick up on the tension, probably because compared to the roller coaster of an evening that they’d had, Sojiro seeming a bit more surly than normal wasn’t any cause for concern.

In the end, only Futaba, Akira, Morgana, and Sojiro remained in the quiet cafe, and it was then that Futaba seemed to belatedly become aware of Sojiro’s less than pleased expression.

“... Sojiro…?” she questioned nervously, unconsciously inching closer to Akira.

In lieu of a verbal response, Sojiro pulled out a familiar-looking calling card from his pocket and thrust it in the direction of the two teenagers, prompting a sharp intake of breath from both Futaba and Morgana.

“I was cleaning up… and found this,” Sojiro finally said, a frown on his face. “This is a calling card, right? I’ve read about it online too.”

Futaba bristled, her hands clenching into fists at her sides as she glared at Sojiro. “Y-you went into my room without my permission?!”

Sojiro narrowed his eyes as he pointedly waved the calling card in her direction. “I’ll apologize as much as you want later. So, what is this?”

Futaba winced and took a step back, her gaze immediately dropping as she stammered out, “Th… that’s….”

Akira sighed, deciding to cut to the chase and save Futaba the unnecessary anxiety as he gave her a reassuring pat on the head before stepping forward.

“I’ll explain everything, so please don’t get angry with Futaba.”

Sojiro eyed him for a moment, seeming to mull over what he wanted to say before finally responding, “Does this calling card business have anything to do with that nonsense you were talking about earlier?”

Akira stiffened, all of his previous composure suddenly escaping him as he warily asked, “What ‘nonsense’ do you mean?”

“I was going to ask if your friends were staying for much longer, since I wanted to close up shop and speak with you and Futaba,” Sojiro confessed, at least having the decency to look slightly sheepish. “I didn’t linger for long, but I caught part of your conversation. Something about… repeating the year? Didn’t make much sense to me, but I didn’t want to interrupt, so I left you kids to your discussion.” Sojiro’s eyes narrowed as he added, “Judging by the look on your face, I’d say I’m on to something, crazy as it sounds.”

“ _Akira!_ ” Morgana hissed, butting his head against Akira’s ankle to try and pull him out of his shocked state.

Akechi, he’d anticipated, even _hoped_ would show up and spy on them--it was the only possible way that the detective had to infiltrate their group, after all, especially since he’d become such a frequent patron of the cafe.

Yet for some reason, it never once occurred to Akira that Sojiro, the cafe’s owner and most frequent person in the cafe aside from Akira himself, would end up wandering upstairs and overhearing something that he shouldn’t have heard.

(God, how stupid _were_ they--how stupid was _he_ , that in one hundred years, the possibility never occurred to him? It was a miracle that something like this hadn’t happened sooner, and it was an even bigger miracle that Sojiro hadn’t heard anything worse than just the mention of the time loop.)

Akira took a shaky breath, letting it out slowly before weakly gesturing to one of the booths. “Let’s… sit down. Apparently there’s a lot more explaining that I have to do than I was admittedly prepared for.”

Sojiro frowned, watching Akira and taking in the sight of Futaba nervously clinging to his arm before letting out a sigh and running his hand through his hair. “Fine, might as well make some coffee. Something tells me it’s gonna be a long night.”

Akira gently guided Futaba into one of the booths, Morgana hopping up and sitting on Akira’s lap as Futaba leaned against his side.

(Though they were both looking to him for support and leadership, Akira found himself drawing on both of their proximity to keep himself calm and grounded--they weren’t Ryuji, of course, but they were his family, which was the next best thing, especially now that he knew that they knew and accepted everything about him.)

After a few minutes, Sojiro approached the booth with three cups of coffee, setting one down in front of each teenager before taking a seat across from them with his own mug in hand.

“Alright, let’s start with this calling card: is it a ‘real’ one?” Glancing at Futaba, he added, “Was a… well… a ‘change of heart’ triggered in you?”

Akira gave Futaba’s arm a gentle, reassuring squeeze as he felt her tense up.

“... Ever since… Mom died…,” Futaba started hesitantly, her voice shaky, “... there was… no exit…. I was trapped in-- in a labyrinth of my heart….” She lifted her gaze to look at Sojiro as she continued. “I couldn’t-- I couldn’t leave it on my own. That’s when….” Futaba glanced at Akira nervously, silently asking how much would be alright to say, and he gave her a nod, encouraging her to continue. “... That’s when Akira contacted me. He-- he said the Phantom Thieves could help, he… I didn’t know how he knew at the time, but I just… I was so desperate for _help_ that I… I asked the Phantom Thieves to steal my messed up heart--and they _did_ , they _saved_ me.” She began tearing up slightly, despite her best efforts to fight it. “It’s the same as Mom’s research…. They-- they changed my cognition….”

Sojiro let out a long sigh as he closed his eyes, trying to take in all of this information. “Seriously…?” he murmured incredulously. “Wakaba’s research about altering one’s cognition… I wondered about it myself too, but still….”

“So you noticed, then,” Akira said.

“How could I not, when she suddenly started saying she was going out with friends out of nowhere? Even the doctors had thrown in the towel,” Sojiro replied with a touch of amusement, before turning his gaze back over to Futaba. “At first I just chalked it up as other kids being a better support for you than any adult. But as I kept watching the tabloid shows here day in and day out, a thought crossed my mind: I thought… your case seemed similar to what these Phantom Thieves were doing.”

“... Wow… you really figured all that out…?” Futaba asked, looking at Sojiro in surprise.

Sojiro rubbed the back of his head with a soft, amused smile. “I’m still your guardian, you know. I’d never overlook such a drastic change in your behavior.”

“Sojiro….”

Akira smiled as he watched the two of them, relieved that the matter got settled without Futaba getting too anxious or stressed.

“But to think that Wakaba’s research and the Phantom Thieves changing hearts were about the same thing….” Sojiro murmured, before shaking his head slightly. “In any case, how exactly did you know how to contact the Phantom Thieves? And what’s this about repeating the year? I’m going to assume it’s not a simple explanation like repeating a year in school.”

Akira laughed weakly. “If only it were that simple,” he replied wryly, before his expression turned serious. “I’ll start with your first question, and I’ll be honest, because I have a feeling that you already know the answer: I was able to contact the Phantom Thieves because I’m their leader.”

There were mixed exclamations of surprise from both Morgana and Futaba, but Akira ignored them both as he kept his gaze locked onto Sojiro’s, who watched him for a moment before letting out a long sigh and running a hand over his face.

“You know, I’m pretty sure the _one thing_ I told you to do is keep your head down and stay out of trouble,” Sojiro commented wryly.

(Wry comments were good, joking was good, he wasn’t getting mad--though logically Akira knew there was no reason for him to get mad, not when the Phantom Thieves were being held in such high esteem by the public unlike in most timelines when they had this inevitable discussion, not when he was still blissfully unaware that the SIU were trying to track them down.)

Akira took a sip of his coffee, hiding a smile behind his cup as he replied, “To be fair, trouble found me--in the first year, anyway.”

His smile fell as he slowly lowered his coffee cup, setting it down on the table but keeping his hands wrapped around the mug as he began to speak, deciding to spare Sojiro the details (mainly because he didn’t trust himself to be able to recount everything without Ryuji there with him to help pull him out of his own head) and get straight to the point. “To answer your second question… I’ve been repeating this year in an endless loop--about a hundred times over, by now.” He let the statement sink in for a moment before continuing. “Tonight was the first night that I mentioned anything about this to my friends, so I guess it’s only fair that you learned the truth as well.”

Sojiro was silent, looking at Akira for any signs that he was joking, before finally giving in with a weary sigh. “I’m getting too old for this, I swear….” He muttered, shaking his head slightly. “I guess that would explain why you seemed so familiar with the cafe--and how you picked up on making our specialty coffee and curry so quickly.”

Akira smiled. “I had a very good teacher.”

Sojiro chuckled. “I’d imagine, if it stuck with you for that long.” Leaning forward slightly, he asked, “Seriously, though… not to say that I don’t trust you, but you wouldn’t happen to have any real proof that you’re not just pulling my leg?”

“ _Sojiro_ \--” Futaba started, her expression indignant, before quieting down as Akira patted her head with a smile.

“It’s alright, I figured he might want something a bit more substantial as proof besides me knowing how to make coffee and curry. This isn’t exactly something that’s easy to accept.” Akira replied, inwardly feeling relieved--Sojiro was actually listening to him, and even if he was asking for proof he was still humoring him instead of brushing him off (or worse, calling him insane and having him taken away to a mental institution where his friends and Ryuji wouldn’t be able to reach him anymore and he’d be trapped there until the year forcibly reset on him and _oh god this could have gone horribly wrong why didn’t I realize no calm down everything’s fine calm down_ **_calm down_ ** _\--_ ).

Akira slipped a hand into his pocket, fumbling with the strap on his phone to ease his anxiety and taking a second to mentally compose himself before continuing.

“You used to be a government official,” Akira said, startling Sojiro. “Your job was to be the bridge between the country and the lab that Futaba’s mother worked at. That’s when you first got to know her.”

“How…?” Sojiro stared at Akira incredulously.

Akira smiled weakly. “You’ve told us this story before--sitting right here, in these same exact seats, enough times for me to have the entire story memorized word for word.”

“... Well I’ll be damned….” Sojiro shook his head slightly, before eyeing Akira warily. “What else do you know?”

“A lot,” Akira replied with a shrug, hesitating for a moment before cautiously adding, “Like… the reason why you took Futaba in.”

“What do you mean?” Futaba looked first at Akira, then Sojiro, her expression confused. “Sojiro…?”

Sojiro sighed. “Guess I’ve gotta tell the rest of the story now, huh….” He paused to take a sip of his coffee before speaking. “Wakaba and I were out drinking one night when she said something odd: that… she might soon die in an odd way.”

Futaba sucked in a sharp breath, but otherwise remained silent, letting Sojiro continue.

Sojiro smiled humorlessly. “Who wouldn’t take that as a joke? I just laughed it off….” He shook his head slightly, the smile falling as fast as it came as his expression hardened. “But… it happened exactly as she said.”

“Sojiro….” Futaba’s gaze fell slightly, before she looked back up in determination. “I want to find the culprit that killed my mom.”

“Wait, _killed_ …?” Sojiro’s eyes widened. “Futaba, what--”

“She was _killed!_ ” Futaba insisted once more, her gaze heated. “I remember everything now! You had to have figured it out too--the way Mom died wasn’t normal!! Didn’t you notice that her research was stolen by someone?!”

Sojiro was silent for a moment, his eyes drifting closed as he fought to stay calm, before he finally pulled himself together enough to respond. “... When she passed away, I did think it was odd. It was awfully fishy… but what could I do? All I was able to do was run from it all… and the outcome of that was me spending my retirement here.” His gaze traveled over to Akira, suddenly looking exhausted as he said quietly, “You already knew all of this too, didn’t you?”

Akira nodded, his expression apologetic. “The reason you took custody of Futaba… it was to try and atone for what happened to her mother,” he finished for Sojiro.

“It was selfish of me,” Sojiro admitted, shifting his gaze back over to Futaba, “And it’s basically my fault that you got burdened with all this crap.”

“It’s not your fault, Sojiro.”

Sojiro couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips as Futaba immediately reassured him, her expression and tone both genuine, and he chuckled quietly as he shook his head.

“Here I was, intending on lecturing you two kids… yet in the end, I ended up the one being consoled. I’m hopeless and a laughingstock, aren’t I?”

“Not at all,” Akira immediately replied. “You’ve been through a lot, and we both care about you.” His smile widened slightly as he added, “Honestly, no matter how many times I’ve repeated this year… the only constant that I’ve really had, even more than my friends, was you--you’ve been like a father figure to me, and you still are. I could never see you as being hopeless or a laughingstock.”

“Akira….” Sojiro’s expression softened. “I’ll be honest, I still can’t fully wrap my head around all this stuff--cognitions, stealing hearts, time travel or time loops or whatever you’re calling it--but… I’m glad that I could be there for you.” He paused in thought for a moment before continuing. “And don’t worry--I have no intention of reporting you or kicking you out or anything crazy like that for being a Phantom Thief.” With a laugh, he added, “I mean, who would believe such a story, anyway? I can hardly believe any of this myself.”

Akira chuckled. “I appreciate all of that more than you’ll ever know. Thank you.”

“I just want you to promise me one thing.”

Akira’s eyes glimmered with the slightest hint of mischief as he said, “I promise to immediately back out of any fight that I can’t win.”

Sojiro blinked, caught off-guard as Akira said word for word what he was about to ask of him, before letting out a weary sigh. “Am I going to have to get used to this?”

“I promise, I don’t have _everything_ memorized,” Akira said with a soft laugh. “Certain things just stuck more than others.”

“But in all seriousness,” Sojiro said, his expression hardening slightly, “I’ll say this for Futaba’s sake as well--if there’s so much as a chance that you’ll catch the attention of the same people that killed Wakaba… then they’re not someone that kids like you can deal with. Alright?”

“Sojiro, I promise that I’ll look after Futaba, and I won’t let anything happen to her.”

“That’s not what I--”

Sojiro cut himself off as Akira met his gaze straight on, a pit of dread forming in his stomach as he got a hint of the silent message that Akira was conveying, with Futaba blissfully ignorant as she watched the two of them with a confused and wary expression.

“... Just… be careful, is all I’m trying to say,” Sojiro finally conceded with only the slightest hint of reluctance. “You and your friends can feel free to use the cafe whenever you need, and I’ll support you however I can.”

Akira smiled softly. “Thank you.”

Futaba grinned. “You’re the best, Sojiro!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sojiro rose out of his seat, an amused smile on his face. “Come on, Futaba. It’s late, and I need some sleep so everything can start making some kind of sense again.”

Morgana hopped off of Akira’s lap so the two teenagers could stand up and get out of the booth, Futaba moving a hand to cover up a yawn as she went over to Sojiro’s side.

“G’night Akira, see you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Akira.”

Akira smiled at Futaba and Sojiro as he walked them to the door so he could lock it behind them. “Good night. Get home safe.”

As soon as they were gone and the door was locked, Akira leaned back against it with a heavy sigh.

“... Are you okay?” Morgana asked tentatively, moving over to his side and looking up at him.

Akira smiled weakly. “Just tired. I wasn’t expecting so much to happen tonight.”

“You should get some rest.”

Akira pulled out his phone, sending a few messages to the group chat to let them know that Sojiro found out about the Phantom Thieves but that he was completely supportive and would let them use the cafe, and was about to put his phone back into his pocket when he immediately received a private message.

> **hey u ok?**

Akira couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face, his heart lifting as he stared down at his phone before belatedly realizing that Morgana was still watching him. “You can go ahead; I’ll be up in a second, I promise.”

Morgana sighed, rolling his eyes before making his way towards the staircase--once Akira got that enamored look on his face, there was no talking logic to him.

Akira hit the call button and lifted his phone to his ear, his smile widening as Ryuji picked up after the first ring.

“ _Akira? Are you alright?_ ”

“I’m okay, I promise,” Akira assured his boyfriend, idly moving over to one of the booths and sitting down as he spoke. “I just wanted to hear your voice; it’s been a stressful night, to say the least.”

“ _Tell me about it,_ ” Ryuji grumbled. “ _I can only imagine how much harder it was for you--and to have Boss cornering you ‘n’ Futaba on top of everything else… how’d that go, anyway?_ ”

“He overheard me telling everyone about the timelines,” Akira confessed, quickly continuing to speak as he heard Ryuji curse under his breath. “It’s okay, though. He only heard the part about me repeating this year, and he admits that he still doesn’t really understand, but… well, he’s supportive and he believes that I’m not lying, so all things considered, that went a hell of a lot better than it could’ve gone.”

“ _That’s good,_ ” Ryuji agreed, before adding, “ _But are you_ **_sure_ ** _you’re alright?_ ”

“... I did panic a bit,” Akira reluctantly admitted. “It didn’t even occur to me until after Sojiro had accepted that I was telling the truth, but… Ryuji, that could have gone so badly--if he’d thought that I was insane, he has the authority to have me sent away to a mental institution if need be. I could’ve been completely cut off from everyone, I could’ve lost this perfect timeline and been forced to reset, I--”

“ _But everything went fine,_ ” Ryuji reminded him, cutting through the anxiety that was beginning to bubble up once more. “ _So forget about what could’ve happened, okay? Just focus on what_ **_did_ ** _happen._ ”

“Mhm… you’re right.” Akira closed his eyes, his body relaxing slightly. “The strap you bought for me has been a huge help. It’s how I managed to calm down while I was panicking.”

Akira could practically _hear_ the blush heating up Ryuji’s face, as well as the grin spreading across Ryuji’s face as he replied, “ _I’m really glad to hear that._ ”

Akira rose to his feet, making his way upstairs as he asked, “I’m sorry to keep you up so late, but could you… keep talking, for just a little bit longer?”

“ _Course I can. Y’know I’d do anything for you._ ”

Akira’s heart swelled at that, a bright, lovestruck grin on his face as he laid down on his bed, ignoring the fondly exasperated look that Morgana shot him as the cat repositioned himself and curled back up.

He was content to simply lay in bed with his eyes closed and his phone cradled against the side of his face as he listened to Ryuji speak, occasionally responding or interjecting quietly until his breathing began to even out as he drifted off to sleep, Ryuji’s voice following him into his dreams.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why yes, I did in fact purposely wait until 11/20 to post the chapter that has the interrogation room scene :3 (Even if it ironically doesn't even take place on 11/20 in this fic lmao)

Having Akechi on their team, even just as an act, was simultaneously the most irritating and the most vindictively satisfying part of this entire timeline to date, as far as Akira was concerned.

He absolutely _loathed_ having to spend even just a minute in Akechi’s presence, yet because Akechi was around more often, it gave Akira more opportunities to toy with him--a teasing comment here, a flirtatious wink there, occasionally leaning into his personal space, and within a week Akira had Akechi practically eating out of the palm of his hand even more than he already was; all coy glances and light blushes and even the occasional flirting back at him.

(Akira could have sworn he threw up in his mouth a little one time, but he played it off as always--after one hundred years of lying, it was as easy as breathing to keep playing his part, waiting until the detective was gone before letting himself bask in both the acidic hatred and twisted glee that came from doing to Akechi exactly what he was trying to do to Shido: rising him higher and higher, making him feel like he was on cloud nine in a perfect world where everything was going his way--only to have it all ripped away from him, sending him tumbling down into the deepest depths of despair.)

(By the time everything was said and done, Akechi would have nothing left, not even his pride. Akira would make sure of it.)

Apparently today the detective had decided to ruin Akira’s day by dropping by the cafe for a surprise visit, interrupting Akira’s peaceful time alone with his boyfriend as Ryuji fed Akira the last of the curry that Akira had made them for lunch.

Ryuji’s embarrassed yet amused smile as he indulged Akira abruptly switched to irritated annoyance at the sight of Akechi strolling into the cafe like he owned the place, the detective’s smile barely even twitching at the sight of the two of them sitting together in the booth.

“Ah, I’m sorry, am I interrupting?” Akechi asked in a tone that _clearly_ said that he knew _exactly_ what he was doing (and only Akira’s hand on Ryuji’s thigh under the table prevented Ryuji from springing to his feet and physically kicking the smug detective out on his pretty-boy ass). “The sign said the cafe was open, so I just assumed….”

Ryuji didn’t think he would ever be able to get over how quickly and how _smoothly_ Akira was able to slip a pleasant smile onto his face, hiding every last trace of loathing and disgust that Ryuji knew was bubbling just under the surface.

“Oh, not at all,” Akira replied as he rose from his seat. “We were just finishing lunch.” An expression briefly flashed across his features, one that neither Ryuji nor Akechi were able to catch as Akira’s smile quickly widened to cover it up. “Why don’t you join us? I doubt you’ve eaten yet, knowing how hard you’re always working--you seem like the type to forget to eat unless you’re reminded.”

Akechi laughed sheepishly. “I suppose you’re not entirely wrong about that, though I wouldn’t want to impose….”

“Nonsense.” Akira gestured for Akechi to take a seat--which the detective did, at the bar and pointedly _not_ anywhere near the booth where Ryuji was sitting--before making his way over to the stove, frowning as he glanced into the pot. “You’ll have to give me a few minutes, though; I could’ve _sworn_ we had a bit of curry left over… sorry about that.”

(Now Ryuji _knew_ that Akira was up to something--Akira had been the one to insist that they finish the last of the curry so it wouldn’t go to waste. Why he was playing dumb about it and going out of his way to make a new pot, Ryuji wasn’t entirely sure, though he had a feeling he’d find out soon enough.)

Akechi’s eyes widened slightly as he lifted his hands in protest. “Kurusu-kun, you really don’t have to trouble yourself with making more curry on my account….” With a slight smile, he added, “I only came for some coffee and your company, really.”

Akira waved Akechi off, quickly chopping up some vegetables that he pulled out of the refrigerator and working his magic at the stove while hiding the smirk that was threatening to work its way onto his face. “It’s no trouble at all. I’d be more than happy to cook for you any time~”

Akechi coughed lightly into his hand, poorly trying to hide the way his smile widened. “You shouldn’t say things that could be so easily misconstrued, Kurusu-kun. Especially not….” He briefly glanced back at Ryuji, a flicker of distaste sullying his otherwise perfect plastic smile.

Ryuji rolled his eyes but otherwise didn’t give Akechi the satisfaction of rising to his obvious bait--yeah, he didn’t like Akira flirting with Akechi, but now that he knew the reasoning behind it… well, he’d be lying if he said that he was _alright_ with it, but he at least understood enough to not let it get to him like it had the first time.

Apparently he’d made the right choice in not engaging Akechi, as the detective turned away from him with the slightest hint of annoyance behind his smile, and Ryuji resisted the urge to flip Akechi off while his back was to him.

_Damn pretentious prick._

Akira chuckled quietly, finally allowing a hint of the smirk that he’d been holding back to work its way onto his face as he glanced back at Akechi. “Have I said anything that could be misconstrued? I hadn’t noticed.”

Akechi was saved from responding as Akira walked away from the stove and over to the bar, plucking one of the jars off the back wall before moving over to the infuser. “Let me make you some coffee while the curry finishes cooking.”

“Oh, that would be lovely, thank you.” Akechi gave Akira another smile that would have made all of his fangirls weak in the knees if Akechi still had any fans (another thing that Akira was getting _immense_ enjoyment out of, knowing that Akechi didn’t have his fanbase to fall back on anymore for validation and was seeking Akira out more because of it, consciously or not).

The coffee that Akira threw together was something that he could barely consider passable compared to the care that he normally put into making coffee for the rest of his friends or for Sojiro, yet it still catered to Akechi’s tastes just enough that it pleased the detective nonetheless: Akechi let out a pleased sigh after the first sip, his guard almost visibly dropping as he gave Akira a more genuine smile.

“Delicious as always.”

(Oh, Akira couldn’t _wait_ to wipe that smile off of Akechi’s face.)

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Akira replied with a smile of his own, shooting him a playful wink as he added, “I poured all my feelings into it, just for you~”

_If you really made it with your feelings for him, you prolly would’ve put in salt instead of sugar,_ Ryuji thought wryly as he watched the two of them, biting his tongue to keep silent.

Akechi rolled his eyes, hiding his smile behind the rim of his cup. “I’m sure you did.”

Akira wandered back over to the stove, humming to himself as he stirred the curry, angling himself so that Akechi couldn’t get a proper look at him from where he was sitting.

Ryuji, however, could just barely make Akira out from the booth he was sitting in, and it took all of his self-control to keep his expression neutral once he caught a glimpse of his boyfriend.

Akira’s smile was downright _evil_ as he sprinkled a few different things into the pot, his motions quick and calculated and completely unsuspicious without being able to see his expression--and suddenly Ryuji had an idea of what was about to happen.

Far be it from Ryuji to dissuade his boyfriend from a petty prank if it made him happy--besides, it wasn’t like Akechi didn’t deserve it (hell, he was about to attempt to _kill_ Akira in just a few days, even if Ryuji knew it wouldn't succeed), so Ryuji made sure to keep his expression as neutral as humanly possible as Akira turned off the stove and brought over a plate of the freshly-cooked curry for Akechi to eat.

One hundred years of experience or not, it should have been impossible for Akira to have such an incredible poker face--there wasn’t a single trace of mischief in his expression; on the contrary, he managed to pull off a pleasant smile as he presented Akechi with the plate and a spoon.

“Sorry for the wait! I’m still getting the hang of the recipe, but I hope you like it.”

Akechi was blissfully unaware of the lethal weapon sitting in front of him as he gave Akira a reassuring smile and picked up his spoon. “It smells delicious,” he reassured Akira with a smile.

(And it really _did_ smell delicious--even Ryuji would have been fooled if he didn’t know Akira so well.)

Akechi scooped up some of the curry onto his spoon, lifted it to his lips, and--with Akira watching him from behind the counter and Ryuji watching from his seat--ate the spoonful of curry.

The effect was almost instantaneous: Akechi’s face steadily began to flush--for once _not_ from flustered embarrassment--as beads of sweat began dotting his forehead and the back of his neck, his eyes crinkling in a barely-repressed expression of pain and his smile almost frozen in place on his face.

“How is it?” Akira asked, just to dig the knife in a little further as he gave Akechi a hopeful smile.

“It--” Akechi coughed after forcing himself to swallow, his voice hoarse. “It’s… very good.”

Akira--the sly bastard--let his expression fall slightly, and _god_ he could probably give professional actors a run for their money with the performance he was putting on, his smile dimming and his gaze falling sheepishly. “You don’t have to lie, Goro, it’s alright--and you don’t have to force yourself to finish it either, if you can’t stomach it.”

_If you can’t stomach it_ \--a subtle jab, a challenge, and whether Akechi realized it or not he immediately played right into Akira’s hand as he shakily picked his spoon back up with stubborn determination, his smile never once leaving his face despite the occasional twitch.

“Nonsense, I would never let your cooking go to waste,” Akechi replied, just barely managing to keep his voice steady as he gripped his spoon tightly and scooped up more of the curry.

There were tears in the corners of Akechi’s eyes as he swallowed the second spoonful, and Akira didn’t even care how mean it was, he was gleefully soaking up each and every second of Akechi’s suffering.

This definitely would make up for not being able to see Akechi eat the spicy takoyaki at the cultural festival, and then some.

Unsurprisingly, hot coffee wasn’t exactly the best beverage to ease the pain inflicted by hellishly spicy curry, so Akechi had absolutely no reprieve from the burning sensation in his mouth--yet either because he didn’t want to admit defeat and show weakness in front of Akira, or because he didn’t want to offend Akira (or perhaps a mix of the two), Akechi stubbornly pressed on until the entire plate was finished.

Akira had to give credit where credit was due--Akechi definitely had guts for powering through the spiciest curry Akira had ever made, though he had a feeling Akechi would be regretting it for days judging by how red his lips were and how soaked his shirt was.

(He’d genuinely expected Akechi to give up, and perhaps he would have shown Akechi a _bit_ of mercy if he had put aside his pride and admitted defeat--but if Akechi was too stubborn to give up, then that was his own problem, and he would just have to suffer for his hubris.)

“Thank you for the meal,” Akechi rasped out, coughing and wincing slightly as he forced a smile. “I’m, ah… afraid I can’t stay for very long; I have work to do.”

“Oh, that’s too bad….” Akira’s disappointed expression quickly shifted into a smile as he took Akechi’s empty plate. “Thank you for stopping by, though, and I’m really glad you enjoyed my curry.” Trying his best to keep any mischievousness from slipping into his tone or his expression, he added, “Do you want to take some to go? There’s more than enough--”

The expression that briefly crossed Akechi’s face--a cross between panic and nausea--was so amusing that Akira’s perfect mask almost cracked (and it certainly didn’t help as he saw Ryuji hiding his face in his arms, his shoulders shaking in silent laughter).

“N-no, I-- I appreciate the offer, but….” Akechi glanced at Ryuji, his eyes narrowing and his smile hardening as he caught Ryuji mid-laugh before he could recompose himself. “But I wouldn’t want to take your delicious cooking away from Sakamoto-kun--how rude of me, eating your cooking right in front of your boyfriend without asking if he wanted some.”

Ryuji winced and tried to rein his amusement in. “Uh, nah, it’s fine dude, not a big deal--”

“No, no--why don’t you help yourself to some of Kurusu-kun’s curry as well?” For someone who probably was burning alive on the inside, Akechi’s smile was somehow ice-cold as he stared down Ryuji.

“Oh, that’s true… sorry Ryuji, I really should’ve offered you some too.” Akira smiled sheepishly, just barely stopping his expression from twitching in amusement as Ryuji’s gaze shot over to him in bewildered shock while Akechi seemed to silently gloat. “Hold on, I’ll make you a plate.”

“Um, Akira, that’s--”

“Something wrong, Sakamoto-kun?” Akechi asked with a raise of an eyebrow. “Or is there perhaps something you’re not telling me?”

Akira laughed softly, saving Ryuji from having to flounder for a response. “Don’t tease him too badly, Goro--just because you choked down my awful cooking doesn’t mean everyone else enjoys doing it.”

Apparently the stars and planets must have aligned for one split second, because Ryuji and Akechi both protested in unison, even if Akechi’s protests were just for show.

“Your cooking ain’t awful, don’t say that!” “Kurusu-kun, don’t put yourself down; your cooking is perfectly fine.”

Akira turned around to face the stove, hardly able to hold back his laughter as Ryuji and Akechi shot each other irritated looks behind his back.

He returned to the booth where Ryuji was seated with a plate of curry and a spoon in hand, which he set down in front of his wary boyfriend with a kiss to his cheek. “Here you go, my darling~”

Ryuji blushed, though he enjoyed the bitter look that flashed across Akechi’s face just as much as Akira did--enough so that he was willing to put his taste buds on the line if it meant not ruining Akira’s fun any more than he already did.

Ryuji nervously picked up his spoon, shoving some of the curry into his mouth before he could chicken out--

\--before blinking in surprise when he realized that it tasted just like his regular curry, even if it was a bit cold.

_Wait… don’t tell me he--_ Ryuji briefly caught Akira’s gaze, and he quickly shoved more curry into his mouth to stop himself from laughing as he saw the pleased satisfaction in his boyfriend’s gaze.

Akira knew this was going to happen--he _knew_ Akechi would try and make Ryuji eat the curry just to twist things around on Akira, and he stayed one step ahead. How he pulled it off was beyond Ryuji, but he couldn’t ask right now even if he wanted to, so all he could do was let a natural grin slide onto his face as he continued eating the non-lethal curry, inwardly enjoying the baffled and irritated look on Akechi’s face.

“Are you sure you don’t want some to take with you?” Akira asked as he turned his gaze back to Akechi, who just barely managed to compose himself and put a lid on his anger in the form of a thin smile.

“I’m positive, but thank you nonetheless. Enjoy your evening.”

With that, Akechi gathered his briefcase and quickly fled the cafe, Akira watching him go and making sure that he was really gone before finally letting his facade crack as he burst out into laughter.

“Oh-- oh my _god_ , his _face_ \-- I can’t _believe_ he actually finished the _whole thing holy shit_ \--”

Ryuji grinned, humming around the spoon in his mouth as he ate another spoonful of curry before speaking. “Gotta say though, you had me worried for a second when y’ played along with him.”

Akira’s laughter died down into quiet chuckles as he wiped tears of mirth from the corners of his eyes. “Please, I saw that coming from a mile away--I already set aside some of the curry before I added the extra spices, while he was distracted with his coffee.”

Ryuji whistled appreciatively. “You’re not the leader of the Phantom Thieves for nothing, huh? I didn’t even notice, and I was watching you practically the whole time.”

“Well,” Akira replied with a mischievous grin, “as they say, ‘to fool your enemies, first you must fool your allies’--sorry darling, I planned on you watching me too, so I did it when you took your eyes off of me. Your genuine reactions made Akechi’s reactions that much better.”

Ryuji laughed. “I can’t even be mad; his reactions really were priceless. Shit, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that bastard with more than that irritating plastic smile on his face.”

As if on cue, Akira’s phone pinged, and he pulled it out with a confused expression that quickly spread into a viciously gleeful grin as he opened the attachment that he was sent, laughter unabashedly slipping out once more.

“Futaba, you precious little gremlin child, I love you.”

On Akira’s phone, in all its glory, was a screenshot from one of the cameras that Futaba set up in LeBlanc, zoomed in on Akechi’s expression of pure suffering with tears clear as day in the corners of his eyes and a spoonful of curry halfway to his mouth.

Ryuji slid out of his seat and moved over to Akira, leaning against him to look at his phone before cackling in amusement at the picture.

“Holy shit, that’s _gold_.”

Akira’s grin widened as he got a text with a thumbs-up emoji from Futaba, and he opened up his chat to respond.

< **You are the best and I love you so much <3**

> **Yea I know ;P <3**  
> **I have a video recording of the whole thing btw**  
> **I’d say ur evil and I fear ur power but he had it coming tbh**  
> **I’ll email u the recording later**

Akira texted back a bunch of hearts before pocketing his phone with a grin still on his face, inwardly vowing to hunt down that sold out limited edition Featherman figurine set that Futaba mentioned wanting once as a thanks for this beautiful gift--getting to look back on Akechi’s suffering would _definitely_ make getting through these next few days that much more easy.

“Okay, so… out of curiosity, I’ve _gotta_ try that curry you made--the spicy one, I mean.” Ryuji snatched his spoon off of his plate and wandered over to the stove, and Akira preemptively went to get him a glass of cold water but otherwise made no move to stop him, amusement shining in his gaze.

_3… 2… 1--_

“ _hoLY_ **_SHIT!!_** ”

Akira just barely managed to hand the glass of water over to Ryuji, who scrambled for it and began chugging it, before he cracked up in unabashed laughter once more.

“ _Jesus_ dude, I think that could legally be a weapon of mass destruction,” Ryuji choked out as soon as he’d regained his breath and cooled the burning in his mouth. “Damn, now I almost feel bad for laughing at him. He seriously choked down a whole _plate_ of that??”

Akira shrugged and smirked. “ _Maybe_ if he wasn’t so prideful, I _might_ have considered letting him off the hook and even giving him some water, but… well, he didn’t, so he’ll just have to deal with the consequences.”

“Harsh, dude.” Ryuji felt a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips--and in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder worryingly if Akira’s small sadistic streak was beginning to rub off on him, or if his own morals were starting to get a bit skewed by Akira’s influence.

It was just a little prank, right? Granted, it was a bit cruel now that Ryuji knew just how spicy that curry really was and once he really started to think about the whole thing after the fact, but….

“Can’t say he doesn’t deserve it, though,” Ryuji added, wondering more if it was for his own sake or Akira’s.

Akira laughed softly, moving to drape his arms over Ryuji’s shoulders. “And this,” he said, lightly pressing his lips to Ryuji’s before continuing, “is one of the many reasons that I love you.”

Ryuji rolled his eyes, his own doubts pushed aside at the sight of Akira’s happy expression, though his smile remained. “Anyways, outta curiosity, why spicy curry of all things?”

“Oh, that?” Akira’s gaze shone with amusement. “Let’s just say it’s a tradition that I tweaked because of circumstances.” At Ryuji’s curious expression, Akira continued with a grin. “It all started at the cultural festival in the first timeline….”

* * *

Progressing through Sae’s palace was much easier when Akira could cut corners with his knowledge without having to explain himself--his team knew that he’d already gone through this palace more times than they could count, and as for Akechi, well… it was easy to convince him when the rest of the team acted as they normally would when Akira _coincidentally_ knew how to stop the dice games from being rigged, _coincidentally_ knew which slot machines paid out the most, _coincidentally_ knew how to get through the cognitive blockade keeping them from entering the high limit floor, and _coincidentally_ knew how to navigate the House of Darkness maze.

(It really shouldn’t have gone so smoothly, but Akira supposed that love was blind--either that, or Akechi was just playing along despite his suspicions, since he didn’t want to feel excluded.)

(Either way, Akira was almost disappointed by how easy it was to trick him.)

One of the more difficult parts was the arena: not because he struggled with fighting the shadows, but… well, to be completely honest, it was hard to not get carried away and show off--he didn’t want to tip his hand _too_ much while Akechi was watching him so carefully, as if memorizing his every move.

(He shot Akechi a smirk and a wink when he caught the detective’s gaze, feeling satisfied as Akechi quickly glanced away in obvious embarrassment.)

The team greeted him with cheers and congratulatory hugs (plus a kiss from Ryuji, which was drawn out for probably longer than necessary, and _maybe_ right in Akechi’s line of vision, _completely_ accidentally) as he left the arena with hardly a scratch on him, all of the coins that they needed loaded onto his card.

Of course, Akira knew exactly what would happen next, and it went just as he remembered: they tried to lower the bridge, Shadow Sae intercepted them and raised the necessary amount of coins to something completely outrageous, and everyone burst out into a mixture of panicked and angry shouts aimed both at Shadow Sae and at the system itself.

The only ones who remained completely calm were Akira and Akechi, and Akira couldn’t help but meet Akechi’s gaze with an amused smirk, which Akechi returned with the slightest quirk of his lips and a raised eyebrow.

“I’m assuming you know how to overcome this challenge as well, _leader?_ ” Akechi asked, the slightest hint of teasing in his tone.

“Oh, I wouldn’t _dare_ steal the spotlight from you, _detective_ ,” Akira shot back just as teasingly, prompting the rest of the group to look over at them.

“What do you mean, Joker?” Makoto asked, voicing everyone’s confusion as she glanced between the pair warily.

“Would you do the honors of explaining, Crow? It was your genius plan; I only caught on to what you were doing when I was at the arena,” Akira replied, deflecting the question to Crow, who looked like he was trying and failing to pretend to not soak up the gazes that were looking to him for explanations that their poor pitiful little minds couldn’t possibly keep up with.

“Well, I don’t suppose you all remember the card that we initially made and disposed of?” There was a round of nods and vague noises of agreement that quickly changed to surprise as Akechi pulled said card from his pocket to show them. “Well, I decided that it would be a waste to get rid of it--there might be a chance that we would need it later on, and it turned out that I was right.”

Akira tuned out Akechi’s pretentious explanation of gathering coins and borrowing coins and how it all added up, not needing to listen to know what he did--the long and short of it was that he pulled the wool over their eyes (surprise, surprise) and went behind their backs in order to gather _just_ enough coins that they would be able to meet Shadow Sae’s ridiculous demand.

The coins were combined into one card and unloaded into the machine, the bridge was lowered, and finally, their path to the treasure was secured.

Then came the part where Akechi bullshitted a reason to stop them from sending the calling card until two days before their deadline, which everyone agreed to with varied degrees of reluctance.

By the time they finally sent the calling card, the entire group was wound tight with tension: once the calling card was sent out and they went to steal Sae’s treasure, both Akira and Akechi’s plans would begin, and only one party would come out on top.

Akira was confident that it would be them.

The only thing that could possibly trip them up would be something going wrong in the interrogation room, when things were--for the most part--out of his hands… but he supposed he would just have to do his best and cross that bridge when he got to it.

(Akira never told the group about what the police would do to him. It wasn’t necessary for their plans, and more importantly, he knew without a doubt that Ryuji--and most likely the rest of the team as well--would do something potentially dangerous to prevent him from getting caught.)

(He didn’t even want to entertain the thought of all the things Ryuji could try and do to stop him, or worse, to try and take his place.)

When Ryuji insisted on sleeping over the night before they were going to steal Sae’s treasure, Morgana didn’t even offer a token protest, and Akira couldn’t bring himself to protest either as Ryuji held him close the whole night and made him promise ten, twenty, thirty times over that he would come back to him safe and sound.

Akira promised each time. As long as he was still alive, it would still count as being safe and sound, right?

(He already knew that Ryuji would be upset with him, but he didn’t want to think about that, not now, not when he wanted to just enjoy Ryuji’s arms around him and Ryuji’s lips against his own without any pain or drugs dulling his senses.)

Shadow Sae was just as much of a challenge for his team as always--yet as always, they prevailed over both of her forms and obtained her “treasure” before their celebration was cut short by Futaba’s exclamations.

The police had arrived.

_Time to get this show on the road, then._

The kiss that Ryuji pulled Akira into as he passed the briefcase off to him was a surprise, but completely welcome, especially when Akira knew the world of pain that he was about to be in for.

“... I’m sure you ain’t gonna die. It’s _you_ we’re talking about here,” Ryuji began with a crooked grin, before continuing quietly, “but please… just be careful.”

Akira gave him a reassuring smile, before glancing at the rest of his team, his friends, his _family_.

(And Akechi.)

“I will,” he promised once more, for the sake of everyone else watching them as well as for his boyfriend, who still didn’t look pleased to have to let Akira put himself in such a dangerous position but--much to Akira’s relief--wasn’t trying to stop him.

Akira tightly gripped the briefcase as he ran off with a confident smirk on his face, toying with the police for long enough to assure that his friends had escaped to safety before finally resigning himself to his fate.

He was hardly able to hear the sounds of his teammates’ alarmed yelling (all genuine, much to Akira’s pleased surprise--even Akechi seemed caught off-guard by the brutality of a horde of armed adult men tackling a teenager into submission, though perhaps it was less that and more Akechi’s feelings for him making the situation seem worse in his mind ( _good, fuck him, I hope this image is burned in his mind forever_ )) over the sound of the police as they shouted over one another and forcefully dragged him away.

* * *

It was almost eerie how perfectly everything was going.

Even with all the drugs forced into his body, even with all the injuries (bruises and scabbed puncture wounds on his neck and head trauma and probably even a cracked rib or two, at least as far as Akira could tell through the induced haze blanketing his mind), everything was still going exactly as Akira knew it would, and it was just as thrilling as it was nerve-wracking.

All it would take was one thing. One misstep, and this entire perfect timeline would go down the drain.

But more than anything, Akira just wanted to see how different things would go once Akechi arrived. Would he still shoot him? Would he at least hesitate? Show some kind of remorse? _Anything?_

(It took about ten times of repeating the torture in the interrogation room for Akira to become desensitized to the cruel violence.

Twenty times, and he just grew bored of the predictability of every hit, and began pushing back more for fun just to see how far they were willing to go--after all, if they did any permanent damage without killing him, Akira could always just “forget” to make Sae take his phone, and let Akechi kill him so he could reset.

Thirty times, and even the thrill of pushing his limits wore off, leaving him bitter and angry and so sick of Akechi’s monologue and smug face that he would often mock him, one time spitting blood right in his eye, one time quoting him word for word in a sarcastic tone just to see the look on his face, one time matching Akechi’s manic grin with one of his own as he shoved his forehead against the barrel of Akechi’s gun and dared him to pull the trigger, with the promise that _he would be back for revenge_ \--even if he didn’t come back this timeline, he would be back the next time, and the next, and the _next_ , because he would _never_ escape this cursed game, this cursed loop of hopelessness and despair and years upon years of cruel smiles and cold barrels pressed against his head and gunshots ringing in his ears.)

This time his memory didn’t fail him, thankfully, and he answered all of Sae’s questions the way he had to--recalled everything necessary to sway her, conveyed everything to mold her perception of him, convinced her to take his phone, and sat back with a satisfied smirk once he caught the briefest hint of the area shifting.

The first timeline that Akira had become aware of Akechi entering the Metaverse, he thought that he’d somehow messed up--his vision wavered, Akechi’s voice carrying through the room as the image of the detective faded in and out, the feeling of the gun pressing against his forehead feeling both painfully real and like air, the shock of the gunshot making his mind briefly go blank before he calmed down enough to realize that he was fine, Akechi had only shot his cognitive self, he hadn’t actually shot him.

Akira supposed that the more times he repeated this cursed year, the more his grip on reality must have begun to slip, because it started getting harder and harder to differentiate between whether or not Akechi was actually in front of him or just in front of his cognitive self each time he found himself sitting in the interrogation room.

(The drugs probably weren’t helping matters, either. They used… how many needles this time? Four? Maybe five? How the hell was he even still conscious?)

This time, Akira forced himself to remain aware of where he was, even as he caught a glimpse of Akechi entering the room.

He blinked. Akechi’s form disappeared.

He blinked again. Akechi’s form reappeared.

Akira resisted the urge to let out a relieved sigh--he knew anything he did wouldn’t be reflected in his cognitive state, but better to be safe than sorry--as he quietly watched the scene unfold in front of him.

The cognitive guard was swiftly disarmed, and Akechi smiled at Akira as he aimed the gun at the startled guard.

“Sorry it took me so long. I’m here to rescue you.”

In the blink of an eye, Akechi’s expression twisted and darkened.

“Is that what you thought I’d say?”

Akira mentally whistled, intrigued by the change in the usual script as he watched Akechi shoot the cognitive guard before turning to face him.

“You thought you were clever, didn’t you?”

Akira could hear his cognitive self let out an inquisitive noise, prompting a scoff from the detective.

“Please, spare me the innocent act. This whole time… you were manipulating me, weren’t you?”

Cognitive Akira dropped the wide-eyed facade as he leaned forward on the table, a smirk on his face. “I wouldn’t be the first person to manipulate you, now would I? That sounds like more of a personal problem than anything.”

Akechi’s grip on the gun tightened even as he smiled thinly. “And here I thought… well, like you said--you’re not the first person, so I really should have known better.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong… in another time, I might have--no, I _did_ want to be friends with you. And who knows, maybe there’s even a universe out there, far, _far_ in the distance where we could have become even more than friends. Did I mention that that universe would be _very_ far away?”

Akechi’s eye twitched in irritation, even as he let out a humorless laugh. “I see that you insist on mocking me right up to the end--though I wonder how that precious _boyfriend_ of yours will react to the news of your suicide?”

“How he’ll react, hm….” Cognitive Akira smiled darkly. “Well, he’ll know right away that it's a load of bullshit, and then… let’s just say you’d better get used to sleeping with one eye open--oh, but I’m sure you’re already used to that, aren’t you?” He grinned viciously. “Poor, poor Goro dearest… you don’t have a single person in your corner, and you never have--that’s why you were so desperate for somewhere to belong, for someone to show you some semblance of affection… that’s why you fell so hard for the first person to give you a friendly smile and a place to feel at home.”

“ ** _SHUT UP!!_** ”

Akechi snarled and shoved the barrel hard enough against cognitive Akira’s forehead that Akira could swear he felt a bruise forming on his own head.

Like a switch was flipped, Akechi began to laugh, his expression twisting in an ugly mockery of a grin. “It doesn’t matter what you say anymore--I’ve won, I’ve beaten you and the Phantom Thieves, _you’ve lost_ \--”

“But have I really?”

Cognitive Akira continued to smirk coolly up at Akechi, unperturbed by the gun being pressed against his forehead. “At the end of the day, no matter what you do to me, I still have people that care about me--people that will grieve for me, people that will get angry, people that will want vengeance on my behalf. You can only hide for so long before they realize that you were the one to stab me in the back, you know.” With a laugh, he added, “They may not be _master detectives_ like you, but you’d be surprised how much they can accomplish when they work together. In the end, you’re back to the whole world being against you--you lost the support of your fans, you lost your chance at having a group of friends, and you’re about to pull the trigger on the first person you gave your heart to. So tell me, Goro: which of us _really_ lost?”

Akechi’s hand trembled, the barrel of the gun digging against cognitive Akira’s skin, as he let out a weak chuckle. “So you won’t even give me the satisfaction of an apology?”

“Remind me, which of us is pointing a gun at the other?”

Akechi laughed, the sound almost painfully genuine as his finger moved to rest on the trigger. “I suppose that’s true.” He paused for a moment before adding, “I really did love you, you know.”

Cognitive Akira continued to calmly stare up at Akechi. “You still do.”

“... I still do. That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?”

Cognitive Akira smirked. “It is. Have fun living with the guilt, Goro dearest~ Maybe if you’re lucky I’ll haunt you in your dreams.”

Akechi closed his eyes, a manic grin sliding into place as easily as any of his fake smiles as he reopened his eyes to look at Akira.

“You wish you could be that lucky. You’ll be burning in hell along with Shido, as far as I’m concerned.”

Cognitive Akira chuckled. “Go ahead then, Goro--pull the trigger. _Do it_.”

As Akechi’s finger began to move, he let one final word reach cognitive Akira’s ears before the sound of a gunshot filled the room:

“ _Checkmate._ ”

* * *

(In the real world, Akira leaned back in his seat and laughed.

Checkmate, indeed.)

* * *

The ride back home was both the shortest and longest trip of Akira’s life.

He was eager to get back to the comfort of his home now that the adrenaline and giddiness from the success of their plan was wearing off, but he also knew that there would be no avoiding having to answer his friends’ questions about his less-than-perfect physical condition--nor did he have too much time to brace himself for said questions, not when Sae had already informed Makoto that she was on her way to LeBlanc with Akira.

If it was just answering their questions, then Akira would be fine… but no, he wasn’t worried about something as simple as answering questions. He was worried about them being angry for not saying what he knew they would immediately figure out: that he already knew that this was going to happen.

(Akira was terrified that Ryuji would be furious with him for hiding this from him, for lying to him and assuring him again and again that he would be home safe and sound, even if “safe and sound” to Akira at this point just meant _alive_.)

Sae rushed Akira out of the car and into the cafe before anyone could see him, and he barely had the chance to thank her before she mentioned needing to straighten up a few things at work and quickly left, leaving him alone with a bewildered and shocked Sojiro.

“... Hey,” Akira greeted with a weak smile, prompting a weary sigh from the older man as he pointed to one of the booths emphatically.

“Sit.”

Akira winced and quickly slid into the booth, not wanting to anger Sojiro either (he was high on the list of people that Akira couldn’t handle being genuinely angry with him, not that Akira was in much of a state to handle _anyone_ being angry with him right now, not when all he wanted was to celebrate his success and then sleep for twenty hours straight), and only allowed himself to relax marginally when Sojiro set down a cup of coffee in front of him and gave him a gentle, hesitant pat on the head.

“You gave me a real scare, you know,” Sojiro muttered. “Nearly had a heart attack when I saw the news. Nearly had another one when you burst through the door looking like that.”

“... I’m sorry,” Akira murmured, his injured hands weakly gripping the warm cup and shakily lifting it to his lips. He blinked back tears as he felt Sojiro give his head another gentle, reassuring pat, not even realizing how badly he needed a gentle touch after being kicked around and beaten until he was on the receiving end of this rare display of kindness from the gruff older man.

“Gotta get you patched up--but I’m sure your boyfriend’ll want to do that for you,” Sojiro commented, making his way over to the door and turning the sign to closed before going back behind the counter. “If your friends are coming, then I expect a full explanation for what the _hell_ is going on once they get here.”

Akira laughed weakly. “We’ll explain everything, I promise.”

The first to arrive, predictably, was Futaba with Morgana in her arms--and Akira quickly realized that if he was feeling this sick with guilt just from seeing Futaba’s shocked, shaken expression as she took in Akira’s physical state, then it was going to be a _long_ night by the time everyone else arrived.

Thankfully, he managed to calm both her and Morgana down by the time the majority of their group arrived, though that was about the only thing Akira was thankful for at the moment as he watched Ryuji, Ann, and Haru’s expressions morph from excitement to horror as they saw him--and even Yusuke’s normally calm expression was shaken, his eyes widening in shock.

“... Akira….”

Ryuji was the first to break the silence and take a step forward, and Akira met him halfway, ignoring the pain in his body as Ryuji pulled him into a hug that he desperately reciprocated.

“Akira, dude, what the _hell_ …?” Ryuji breathed out, anger and frustration and grief and shock all melding together into one tone that made Akira’s heart drop like it was made of lead, even if Ryuji’s hold was still gentle and betrayed none of the emotions in his voice. “You… you  _promised_ me--” Ryuji’s voice cracked as he fought back tears, and Akira found his own eyes burning with unshed tears in response. “You _promised_ you’d come back safe ‘n’ sound--”

“And I did,” Akira responded, doing his best to keep his voice steady. “I’m alive, aren’t I?”

Apparently this was the wrong thing to say, as Ryuji pulled back harshly, a scowl on his face as he glared through his tears. “D’you even realize how fuckin’ worried I was? How worried we _all_ were? D’you even realize that this is like-- like one of my biggest fears come true, seeing you like this and knowing that I couldn’t even do anything to help you? Knowing that I _sent you off_ and _let_ this happen? And I’m supposed to just be _happy_ that you’re _alive?_ D’you really think I’m that _heartless_ that I’d just--”

“ _Ryuji_ ,” Yusuke cut Ryuji off, putting a hand on his shoulder from behind and gesturing to Akira with a nod when Ryuji glanced over at him.

Ryuji’s heart sunk as he took a proper look at Akira, too blinded by his own hurt and anger to even notice that, at some point, Akira had dropped his head to hide his tears as his tense body trembled, as if he was trying to curl in on himself.

He breathed out a curse under his breath and gently pulled Akira into another hug, his heart clenching as he felt Akira flinch. “Akira, look, I’m sorry okay? I didn’t mean to yell; I just… please, I don’t care if you’ve been through it a million times, I don’t care if you think you can handle it--just… promise me you’ll never put yourself through something like this ever again. None of us like seeing you hurting like this, even if you got out of it alive. Alright?”

“... Are you still mad at me?” Akira questioned quietly, his soft, hoarse voice barely reaching Ryuji’s ears.

“I’m upset that you hid this from us, and I’m mad at the bastards that did this to you--but am I mad at _you?_ No, I’m not.” Ryuji carefully kissed the top of Akira’s head, some of the tension easing out of his own frame as he felt Akira beginning to relax against him. “Don’t think I forgot that you didn’t answer me, either.”

Akira nodded slightly, burying his face in the crook of Ryuji’s neck and letting out a quiet, shuddering sigh as he felt Ryuji’s fingers idly playing with the hairs on the nape of his neck. “I promise,” he murmured.

Ryuji smiled. “Good.”

With that, the tension in the room seemed to lift, and Ann was the first to step forward as she lightly hit Ryuji on the arm.

“Alright, c’mon, you’ve hogged Akira enough already. We’re all waiting for a turn!”

Akira laughed softly as Ryuji huffed, his heart lifting and his body relaxing even more as Ryuji looked at him, as if silently asking if he would be alright with letting anyone else hug him.

God, he loved Ryuji so much.

( _God_ , he was so grateful that Ryuji didn’t hate him for lying to him.)

Akira gave Ryuji a reassuring smile, and Ryuji relented, moving his arms off of Akira and barely having the chance to step aside before Ann pushed her way in between them to hug Akira, with Haru moving in on the other side of him. His smile widened as he returned their hugs, and he couldn’t help but laugh as Futaba joined the hug pile from behind.

After such a rough day (or was it days? It was always hard to keep track of time in that interrogation room), this was definitely what he needed to unwind: his friends--his _family_ \--surrounding him, supporting him even while voicing their disapproval of being kept in the dark.

* * *

Makoto and Sae were the last to arrive, but once they entered the cafe and everyone got settled in the booths and on the bar chairs, the group began filling Sojiro and Sae in on their plan and how they pulled it off down to the last detail, as well as discussing the information that Akira had gathered regarding Akechi’s connection to Shido and Shido’s identity as the true mastermind behind the mental shutdowns.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a conversation that Akira really needed to be a part of--all of his friends, especially Ryuji, knew enough to fill in any blanks or answer any questions that Sae had regarding things like how exactly they knew so much and how they’d come up with their plan to begin with--and so Akira took the opportunity to lean against Ryuji and rest his eyes, fading in and out of consciousness as he listened to everyone’s voices around him.

He tuned back in when he felt Ryuji tensing up and heard a few of the group’s voices growing agitated, cracking an eye open blearily and noting that at some point, he’d shifted from leaning against Ryuji’s shoulder to outright resting his head against his boyfriend’s chest.

“ ‘s okay dude, go back to sleep,” Ryuji murmured when he noticed Akira looking up at him. “Sorry for wakin' ya.”

Akira gave a quiet noise of acknowledgement and closed his eyes, his lips twitching in a small smile as he heard Ryuji reprimanding everyone for being too loud and waking Akira up, only for the entire group to point out that Ryuji was the loudest one there.

Never in all the years that he’d been through had Akira felt so happy and at peace after returning to LeBlanc following the interrogation.

Even in the first timeline, when his friends were close enough with him to actively want to support him, he was too shaken by everything he’d gone through to want to do anything other than hide in his bedroom until he could piece himself back together enough to go back to being their strong, fearless leader--and after the first timeline, well. He could never allow anyone to get close to him while he was in such a vulnerable state early on in the time loop, and eventually enough years passed that he hardly even batted an eye at his own injuries and pain anymore, so he felt no need to look for support.

Now he was beyond feeling anything more than mild discomfort and annoyance from the ordeal, _and_ he had his adoring boyfriend spoiling him with gentle, absentminded touches to help ground him--focusing his mind just enough that he wouldn’t get swept away in the repetitive familiarity of the situation, from the way everyone was seated and standing around the room to the exact placement and dull aches of every single injury littering his body.

It was the most perfect scenario given the circumstances, one that Akira could have only ever dreamed of until now, and if he were in a slightly more coherent state he would have kissed Ryuji for that alone.

Instead, he merely nuzzled against Ryuji’s chest and allowed himself to drift back off to sleep, only returning to consciousness once more as he heard Ryuji quietly calling his name and felt his boyfriend’s lips pressing against the top of his head.

“Mmh…?” Akira blinked blearily, looking up at Ryuji.

“Hey, sorry to wake you again,” Ryuji said sheepishly. “Everyone left for the night; I figured it’d be better to head upstairs so I can help bandage you up and we can lay down in bed.”

Akira nodded and reluctantly sat up, a brief flash of a grimace crossing his face as his stiff, injured body protested the sudden movement.

“Hey, careful! Don’t move too fast,” Ryuji gently reprimanded him, reaching out to help Akira up. “Just take it slow, okay?”

Akira smiled wryly. “Ryuji, I appreciate it, but--”

“Save it--y’know that I’m not gonna accept the whole ‘I’ve been through this before, it’s not a big deal’ bullcrap,” Ryuji cut him off with a frown. “You’re my _boyfriend_ ; I’m allowed to worry about you and help you out.”

Akira blushed lightly, any other sardonic commentary immediately dying on his tongue at the reminder that Ryuji cared about him and wanted to help him, no matter whether or not that help was really necessary.

He allowed Ryuji to help him upstairs, sitting down on the bed and watching with a small, affectionate smile as Ryuji rushed back downstairs to go and get the first aid kit from the bathroom before quickly returning, taking the stairs two at a time in his haste.

“I’m not going anywhere, you know,” Akira said with a hint of amusement. “You don’t have to rush.”

Ryuji huffed and set the first aid kit down next to Akira on the bed, opening it up and rummaging through it as he spoke. “I know, but the faster we get this done, the better. Now take off your shirt.”

(Akira considered making a comment in response, but one look at Ryuji’s flushed face was enough to entertain him without even needing to tease him.)

As soon as Akira’s shirt was off and tossed aside, Ryuji couldn’t help the sharp hiss that slipped out as he got a proper look at the extent of the damage that the police had done to him.

“... It looks worse than it is?” Akira offered weakly, wincing slightly at the look that Ryuji shot him. “Sorry.”

Ryuji let out a breath and pressed a kiss to Akira’s forehead. “... ‘s fine, not your fault. I’m just pissed off at the bastards that did this to you.”

Akira relaxed slightly at the kiss and nodded in understanding, remaining quiet as Ryuji got to work cleaning and bandaging whatever injuries he could find, save for the bruises that would have to heal on their own.

(He decided it would be best not to call any attention to the way Ryuji’s hands shook as he worked, or the way Ryuji’s eyes burned with unshed tears that he stubbornly kept trying to blink away. It was the least he could do to help Ryuji maintain the illusion of composure, if only for the sake of his pride.)

Ryuji remained silent as he paid special care to each and every injury, only pausing to run his fingers along one of the particularly nasty bruises over Akira’s chest, and he let out a shuddering sigh before composing himself enough to speak as he closed up the first aid kit and set it down on the ground.

“Just… could’ja tell me one thing?”

“Hm?” Akira turned his attention back down to Ryuji, barely even noticing that he’d finished bandaging him up between the daze induced by Ryuji’s gentle ministrations and his own lingering exhaustion.

“... Was this… were you….” Ryuji scowled briefly in frustration as he tried to find the right words for what he wanted to ask, before settling on, “Did’ja know for sure that this plan was gonna work?”

Akira’s mind immediately cleared up, feeling much more awake as he took in Ryuji’s serious expression, and he let out a quiet sigh of his own.

“What’s important is that it--”

“Answer the damn question, _please_.”

Akira winced slightly and dropped his gaze. “... I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I… this wasn’t guaranteed to succeed, no, but I knew everything that I had to do to make _sure_ it succeeded, and I--”

“Have you… have you died in that room before?” Ryuji forced himself to ask, his gaze remaining fixed on the many wounds littering his boyfriend’s body.

Akira remained silent for a moment before forcing out a small, quiet, “Yes.”

“How many times?”

Again, Akira couldn’t answer right away, curling in on himself slightly as he anticipated Ryuji’s anger--he didn’t want this, he didn’t want to do this right now, all he wanted was to hold Ryuji and let Ryuji hold him and lie together with him in bed and sleep for the next week or month or year--

“More times than I survived that interrogation room,” Akira finally confessed. “I don’t know exactly how many times. I lost count.”

“... So you’re telling me…,” Ryuji began, his hands clenching into fists at his sides, “... that even though you knew that there was a higher chance of you not making it out of there alive… you still not only went through with it, but decided to  _lie_ to us and make us think that the plan was foolproof and guaranteed to succeed?”

“I’m sorry, I--”

Akira was completely caught off-guard as Ryuji suddenly wrapped his arms around him, reflexively returning the hug even as he tried to understand what was happening.

Wasn’t Ryuji angry with him? Why was he hugging him?

Akira pulled Ryuji closer despite the pain in his body as he felt Ryuji’s tears and heard his hitched breaths, his concern outweighing his confusion and guilt.

“Ryuji… I’m okay, everything’s okay--”

“ _No!_ Enough ‘a that shit!” Ryuji exclaimed, his voice cracking as he just barely held back a sob. “Don’t you get it? I almost _lost you_ \-- you could’ve _died_ , and I would’ve been waitin’ around like a goddamn idiot thinking that you’d be back only to find out that you’re just-- just _gone_ , without me even getting to say _goodbye_ ; without me even getting to say how much you mean to me!”

Akira’s eyes widened slightly, his throat feeling tight as his breath seemed to leave him, and he remained quiet as he let Ryuji speak his piece.

“God, I just-- I’m an idiot, alright? I know it shouldn’t’ve taken me so long to figure it out but it did, and when I finally figured it out I still ended up missing every chance to just _say it_ , but I didn’t care ‘cuz-- ‘cuz you were still _here_ ; you’re always around, we always make time to see each other, I kept telling myself I could just say it whenever ‘cuz it wasn’t like you were going anywhere-- but this… _god_ , Akira, I… the thought of losing you’s bad enough, but… the thought of losing you without ever getting to tell you how much I love you, especially after all the times you’ve told me, and after how long you waited to hear those words and how patient and understanding you’ve been….”

“... Ryuji….” Akira’s voice was quiet, hoarse with restrained emotion as Ryuji’s words kept ringing in his head, to the point where he wasn’t even sure if Ryuji had actually said them or if he was just wishfully thinking. “Ryuji, you….”

Ryuji pulled back slightly, gently cupping Akira’s face in his hands and resting their foreheads together as he looked Akira straight in the eye, both of their gazes clouded over with tears. “Akira, I love you--I’ve… hell, honestly, I think I’ve loved you since I first met’cha,” he said with a quiet, choked-up laugh. “God, I was so stupid, I don’t know why I never _realized_ \--but everything clicked back when you took me out on that ridiculously over-the-top date that I adored every goddamn second of: I love you _so goddamn much_. I can’t picture my life without you in it, not anymore.”

Akira looked at Ryuji with a shocked expression, hardly even aware of the tears streaming down his flushed face as he let each and every one of Ryuji’s words sink in.

“You….” Akira’s breath hitched, his throat tightening as he repressed a sob before trying to speak again. “You really… you’re not just…?”

Ryuji pressed a kiss to Akira’s lips, long and sweet and slow and filled with so much _love_ that Akira couldn’t help the small, muffled whimper that slipped out as he shakily gripped Ryuji, any walls that he had left up immediately crashing down--it was beyond waiting months; he’d been waiting _years_ , **_decades_ ** to hear Ryuji say those three words to him, and even though the situation was less than ideal, Akira couldn’t care less.

Right now, everything in the world was perfect.

“I love you,” Ryuji repeated, murmuring the words against Akira’s lips, kissing him again before moving to trail kisses along Akira’s tear-streaked face. “I love you, _god_ I love you so much, _Akira_ \-- please, _please_ don’t _ever_ do something crazy like this again, I… I won’t be able to take it, I can’t even stand the  _thought_ of having to live without you.”

Akira closed his eyes with another soft, desperate whimper as he shakily gripped Ryuji’s shirt to anchor himself, his breaths coming out in quiet sobs and hiccups. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry Ryuji, I promise--”

Ryuji pressed another kiss to Akira’s lips, carefully maneuvering him so that they could both lie down on the bed and keeping his arms gently wrapped around him.

“I love you,” Ryuji murmured once more, being mindful of the injuries on Akira’s head as he gently ran his fingers through Akira’s hair. “I know you want to do everything to protect us, but… will you let me protect you, just this once?”

Akira’s tears gradually slowed to a halt as he melted under Ryuji’s fingers with a soft noise of contentment, desperately needing the gentle touch almost as much as he needed to keep hearing those three sweet words that kept making his heart skip a beat in sheer joy.

He gave Ryuji a small nod as he pressed himself closer to him, feeling safer and more content and _loved_ than he ever had in any timeline that he’d survived the interrogation room.

They could worry about all the dangers that they would still have to face (hiding from the public eye, avoiding Akechi, taking down Shido, fighting a god) tomorrow, but for now, Akira was content to pretend that the hardest part was over and done with as he relaxed into his boyfriend’s embrace.

“Thank you,” Akira murmured with a small smile. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Ryuji replied, feeling almost as elated from finally being able to say those words back to Akira as Akira was from hearing them, if his quiet, happy sigh was anything to go by.

Pressing a kiss to the top of Akira’s head, Ryuji shifted just enough to grab the covers and pull them over the two of them, making sure that Akira was as comfortable as possible given all of his injuries as he resolved to keep a vigil over Akira all night--the last thing he wanted was for Akira to need him in the middle of the night only to feel too guilty to wake him up and ask for help.

Ryuji had no idea how many sleepless nights Akira had had over the years, but he did know that Akira was more than worth giving up one night of sleep for.

(Plus, it would give Ryuji the chance to let everything sink in: Akira was _alive_ , he was _here_ , he was hurt but everything was _okay_.)

Akira’s previous exhaustion quickly washed back over him as he settled against Ryuji’s chest under the blankets, hardly even caring about how his body was sore and in pain--he was used to those feelings, but the _warmth_ (from the blankets, and from _Ryuji_ ) was such a welcome change to the otherwise painfully familiar scenario that it leeched any and all traces of tension out of his body, lulling him to sleep within minutes with a soft smile on his face as his mind looped Ryuji’s declaration of love, Ryuji’s voice following him into his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so with the holidays and everything coming up, plus the Persona 5 Big Bang (that I _really_ need to be working on, whoops), the next update might not come until either mid-December at the earliest or January at the latest, so sorry in advance for the wait ;_;
> 
> Good news (?), though, is that there's about 7 more chapters after this, and I also might end up posting another collection of side-stories from this universe with ideas that I couldn't fit into the main fic or stuff that would take place post-fic, so I'm not done with this fic or this universe yet by a long shot! Hopefully you won't all be sick of me by then lol
> 
> (Edit 11/29: So I spent the past two days revising this fic fixing some dialogue stuff (mainly Ryuji's dialogue since I think I've been overwriting his accent and it might be difficult/annoying to read;;) so if you notice any changes in upcoming chapters with how I write the dialogue, just know that the rest of the fic was already changed for consistency lol)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone!! I finally finished my Big Bang fic, so now I can go back to trying to focus on making progress with the rest of this fic! ^^
> 
> This chapter is... really really long lmao this whole chapter is about 10k total, but this is one of the climaxes of the fic that I've been trying to build up to for a while, so hopefully I managed to do it justice ;u;
> 
> Enjoy! ^^

This wasn’t the first time that Akira had to play the part of a dead man, and honestly he knew he should be considering himself grateful that he hadn’t _actually_ gotten killed (as he had admitted to Ryuji that he had in so many other timelines, the ones where he came so close to finishing the year only to slip up at the end, from either exhaustion or the drugs forced into his system or messing something up along the way).

And he _was_ grateful, really--yet somehow, being stuck here in his room by himself was an even worse torture than what the cops had put him through.

He was recovering, thankfully: his bruises, though bright and ugly against his skin, were no longer sore, and any other injuries he’d retained from being kicked too hard into walls or from the syringes violently jabbed into his body had long since scabbed over.

So it wasn’t as if he was _physically_ in pain-- _mentally_ , however, was a completely different story.

After their meeting (and Ryuji’s subsequent sleepover, which Akira had been infinitely grateful for), it was agreed upon by all of the Phantom Thieves via text--himself very much reluctantly included--that their group should lay low for the time being and avoid being seen with one another… which included avoiding coming to LeBlanc, as Akechi knew fully well that this was one of their main hideouts.

Morgana could only keep him company for so long before getting fed up of being cooped up, not that Akira could blame him; but at least he could come and go as he pleased, which Akira encouraged despite his need for some sort of physical presence to keep him grounded--he wasn’t selfish enough to force Morgana to suffer along with him, so he would put on his usual calm smile and joke that he would live vicariously through Morgana’s nighttime wanderings before playfully shooing him out of the attic.

Now, though, sitting by himself… Akira could feel himself slipping, his hands gripping his head and his breathing coming out in shaky, uneven pants as he tried to force his mind not to get overtaken by the repetitive monotony of day after day after _day_ passing by, the hours and minutes and seconds all blending together until it became hard to remember where and when he even was.

What number timeline was this? What had he done different in this timeline? Whose palaces had and hadn’t he done? Who had he helped and who did he not even meet? Who were his teammates? Who were his friends, and who were his enemies? Was he alone? _He couldn’t remember._

There was no concrete anchor, nothing to separate this day in October from the other four hundred, five hundred, six hundred, _however many hundred_ days in October that he’d been through--and more importantly, there was nothing to make this period of confinement different from all the other times that he’d spent in hiding while the world thought that he was dead.

Akira jumped so badly that he nearly fell straight off of his bed as a sudden sound broke the silence of the room, and it took him longer than it should have to realize that the sound had come from his phone. Shakily, he picked his phone up (there was a phone strap attached, when did he buy it--no, who bought it for him? That was something important, wasn’t it?), his trembling hands fumbling with the device until he managed to put his passcode in and look at the chat to see who had messaged him.

As soon as he saw Ryuji’s name, something in the far, far recesses of his mind clicked.

Ryuji was important--he was his best friend, and….

_Something happened with Ryuji, something different._

Akira clutched his head, trying to sort through all the different memories jumbled in his mind before finally coming upon a memory of them kissing.

_But that’s… the first timeline? No…._

He wasn’t thinking straight as he reached for his phone once more, clinging to it like a lifeline as he shakily hit the call button.

Even if he was wrong, Ryuji would always help. Even if Akira couldn’t think straight, even if he couldn’t remember what timeline this was and what had and hadn’t happened between them, he knew that he could just play it off as being bored and lonely, and Ryuji would just laugh and tease him before going on to talk about whatever manga he was reading or whatever he’d been doing for the day, and then Akira could just try and pick apart his words for some sort of indication of what kind of timeline he was in--

“ _Akira? What’s up, you okay?_ ”

At the sound of Ryuji’s voice, Akira’s throat suddenly felt tight, his vocal chords choosing that moment to stop working on him as his breathing quickened once more in panic--but he had to push past it, he didn’t call Ryuji to make him worried--

“ _... Akira, listen to me,_ ” Ryuji began--and god, like Akira could ever focus on anything but Ryuji’s voice anyway, of _course_ he was listening to him even without needing to be told, “ _We all know about the timelines. You told me first, back in the beginning of May, and you just told the rest of our group a few weeks ago. You ‘n’ I have been dating for a bit over two months now--you took me on our first date back at the end of July, and I just told you that I love you hardly a week ago, when we first brought you back home after we tricked Akechi into thinking that he killed you. Any of this ringing a bell for you?_ ”

Akira’s breathing gradually began to even out as he closed his eyes, hardly even aware of the tears streaming down his face in sheer _relief_ that Ryuji had somehow known _exactly_ what to say to help him try and straighten out his thoughts.

“... I… y-yes, I’m sorry, I just… I’m sorry.”

There was a moment of silence on the line, before Ryuji finally spoke again. “ _I’m coming over. I don’t care what the agreement was; you obviously need someone there if you’re having that much trouble keeping your memories straight--and before you say anything, I’m worried about you and I wanna help you no matter what, so I’m not taking no for an answer._ ”

Akira weakly moved a hand up to try and wipe away his tears. “I… I would appreciate that. Thank you.”

Part of him was tempted to try and convince Ryuji that he was fine and didn’t need anyone or anything right now, but he knew from experience just how stubborn Ryuji could be once his mind was set on something.

And more importantly, he just really, _really_ didn't want to be alone right now.

“ _Want me to stay on the line while I head over?_ ”

Akira wanted so badly to say no, that he was fine, that he didn’t need to be babied--but he just couldn’t do it, not when he thought about how quiet the room would be without Ryuji’s voice and how easily his thoughts would spiral out of control once more without Ryuji anchoring him.

“... Please….”

Ryuji, god bless him, stayed on the line the entire time talking about everything and nothing, and Akira remained quiet the whole time, laying down on his bed and closing his eyes as he let Ryuji’s voice drown out all the thoughts and all the jumbled memories running through his mind.

Finally, Ryuji said he was outside, and Akira hung up and set his phone aside before weakly forcing his body to move so he could get up and go downstairs to unlock the door.

Ryuji had hardly taken two steps into the cafe and closed the door behind him before he was pulling Akira into a kiss that he melted into with a whimper, his body shaking as he clung to Ryuji like a lifeline.

“Shh, I’m here,” Ryuji murmured, holding Akira close and running his fingers through his hair. “Let’s go upstairs, okay?”

Akira nodded weakly, letting Ryuji guide him back upstairs and over to his bed, where Ryuji laid down with Akira and held him close.

“What happened?” Ryuji questioned softly, one hand rubbing circles against Akira’s back while the other remained tangled in Akira’s hair.

Akira took a shuddering breath, trying his best to rein in his emotions enough to get a proper sentence out. “Too much… too much repetition. Everything was starting to blur together. I couldn’t--still can’t--think straight, it’s all… everything’s mixed up.”

Ryuji’s expression softened in understanding, and he pressed another kiss to Akira’s lips, his heart clenching as he heard the quiet, broken whimper that Akira let out as he trembled against him.

"See this? Right here, right now?" Ryuji trailed his hand along Akira's spine over his shirt, listening to Akira's breath hitch and watching as his face flushed. "This is all brand new. Me being here while you can't go out, after all that shit happened with Akechi--none of this ever happened before, right?"

“It, it hasn’t….” Akira whimpered and pressed himself closer to Ryuji desperately, trying to calm down enough to get his head on straight.

Ryuji couldn't help but blush as Akira pressed against him, but he forced himself to push aside his embarrassment as he continued to speak. "Good. So just remember that, and keep focusing on me--forget about everything else, alright? You're here with me, and that's all that matters."

Akira nodded dazedly, his face flushed. _Only Ryuji… focus… focus only on--!!_

He let out a soft noise as Ryuji's lips pressed against his neck, kissing one of the many injuries littering his skin and causing Akira's heart to swell in response to the sweet gesture.

“I’m gonna take care of you, don’t worry,” Ryuji murmured by Akira’s ear, causing a shiver to run down his spine. “I’ll make sure you can’t think of anything but me by the time I’m done.”

Akira nearly sobbed in relief at that, his hands trembling as he desperately held onto Ryuji. “Please, Ryuji, _please_ \--”

Ryuji kissed Akira again, running his fingers through Akira’s hair until his trembling began to die down. “That’s it, just relax…,” he murmured against Akira’s lips, peppering him with light kisses until enough tension had drained from Akira’s form for his grip on Ryuji’s shirt to go slack. “I know you've got a lot going on in your head, but... just trust me and let go of everything, just for one night.”

“I trust you," Akira replied, his eyes fluttering closed as he tried to calm his racing heart and even out his shaky breaths. “I trust you with my life, my heart, my soul, my everything--it’s all yours, it’s always been yours--”

Akira fell quiet as Ryuji kissed him again, feeling Ryuji’s hand moving down from his head to the side of his face as he brushed away his tears, and he allowed his mind to go blank as he let himself get swept away by Ryuji’s gentle displays of affection.

* * *

Though Akira didn’t think it was necessary--his wounds had pretty much healed up completely, and his one breakdown aside, he was doing more or less fine mentally as well (the fact that Ryuji called him every single day to talk with him about the most random and mundane things just so that Akira could hear his voice certainly helped with that, and Akira appreciated his boyfriend immensely for it)--the group insisted on waiting at least another week before finally making plans to meet up and begin working on taking down Shido’s palace.

Akira spent a lot of time in the Velvet Room the night before going through his Persona compendium, making sure to have just the right Personas at the ready for the upcoming fights. Now that there was no need to hide anything, he could easily bring out the big guns and barrel through Shido’s palace, which would save them plenty of time as well as energy.

(Of course, he wasn’t going to _completely_ take over the fighting, either--everyone else needed to continue building up their strength, both to fight Shido and to fight Yaldabaoth, and the last thing that he wanted was to protect them too much only for them to not be able to hold their own anymore against the increasingly powerful enemies that they would have to face.)

Akira snuck out under the cover of darkness the next night, his hood pulled up to conceal his face and his gaze kept down as he traveled until he spotted his friends in the distance, gathered outside the Diet Building where he’d instructed them to meet up.

Morgana hopped out of his bag, and Akira wasted no time in pulling out his phone and opening the Meta-Nav, cutting straight to the chase.

“Masayoshi Shido. Diet Building. Ship.”

To only the slight surprise of the group, it was an instant hit, and Akira glanced at all of them to make sure that they were ready before hitting the navigation button and watching as the scenery around them shifted and changed.

As soon as they arrived, Akira had to push aside the sinking feeling in his gut.

 _God_ he hated ships.

He’d never had a problem with them before, at least not that he could remember, but… there were too many memories of things going wrong, too many memories of coming so close only to trip up somewhere along the line, too many memories of watching Ryuji’s weak smile moments before the explosion went off--

Akira jumped slightly as he felt a hand on his shoulder, before relaxing as he saw Ryuji (safe, uninjured, alive) next to him, watching him with a worried frown.

“Sorry. I’m alright.”

Ryuji watched him for a moment longer--as if trying to look behind the metaphorical mask that Akira had unconsciously slipped back on--before something seemed to click, his expression shifting to a light grimace as he said, “Oh, right--you said you don’t like boats… guess this place is why, huh.”

“I’m surprised you remember that.” Akira smiled softly as he pressed a quick kiss to Ryuji’s lips. “Everything will be fine this time though, so it’s okay.”

Ryuji grinned, moving his hand off of Akira’s shoulder in favor of taking his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Is this whole place really a ship, though?” Ann commented, pulling Akira’s attention away from Ryuji as he nodded.

“It is, and we have a lot of ground to cover and a lot that needs to be done before we can reach Shido.” Reluctantly, Akira let go of Ryuji’s hand, his expression hardening and his tone and posture both radiating authority as he turned and began walking towards the entrance. “Let’s go.”

Everyone voiced their agreement and quickly followed after Akira, their obvious trust in him--as their leader, and as their friend--filling Akira with a swell of love and confidence.

They could do this. Akira would make sure of it.

* * *

Cutting out the need to gather information saved the group a lot of time, Akira found: it was so much easier to just jump straight into getting the letters of introduction while explaining what would happen and what they would need to do along the way, and he appreciated that the group clearly hung off of every word he told them and followed his instructions to the letter.

Still, as much as Akira wanted to take down Shido (and as much as everyone else wanted to take down Shido), he refused to rush through the palace any more than necessary.

They got two letters of introduction the first day, took a day to rest and recover, got the next two letters the day after that, and took one more day of rest before heading down to the engine room to get the final letter.

No one noticed Akira popping a Bead and Soul Food into his mouth on the walk back to the engine room entrance after beating the Cleaner, nor did they notice him switching his Persona as he let the group walk a few steps ahead of him.

There was only one person left to fight before Shido, and Akira was going to take care of him personally.

Akira knew exactly where Akechi would be waiting to ambush them, knew exactly when he would jump down with a flourish, and decided to give him his moment to be overdramatic as he stopped walking to look up at him, the rest of the group not even noticing that Akira had stopped until Akechi had already landed in front of him.

“Long time no see.” Akechi’s tone was detached, his expression impassive.

Akira gave him a smile in return, cold and acidic. “It _has_ been a while, hasn’t it? I’m sure you’re _thrilled_ to see that I’m alive and well.”

Akira caught the barest hint of Akechi’s eye twitching under his mask, and took satisfaction in his annoyance even as Akechi continued to fix him with a flat look that only just barely revealed hints of his vexation.

Distantly, Akira was aware of his teammates voicing their shock and anger upon seeing Akechi, but he paid them no mind--this was between the two of them.

(Akira knew that as much as Ryuji would want to jump in, he would understand and respect Akira’s desire to handle this alone without even needing to be told, and he trusted that Ryuji would keep the rest of the group from interfering as well no matter how long this took or how bad it got.)

“You give yourself too much credit as usual,” Akechi scoffed. “Though I _am_ admittedly impressed that you managed to deceive me, somehow I can’t find it in me to be surprised. Honestly, I had a feeling it went too smoothly.”

“Yet you never bothered to follow up on those suspicions,” Akira pointed out, his smile shifting to a sharp smirk. “You didn’t want it to be true, because you didn’t want to have to kill me for a second time--yet here I am, alive and well in front of you.” He spread his arms wide, his hands devoid of any weapons as he taunted, “So go ahead and finish the job, _Goro dearest_ \--if you _can_.”

Akechi gave a humorless laugh, and Akira could hear the sharp intakes of breath from his teammates as Akechi’s expression twisted into a dark grin. “You _would_ like that, wouldn’t you? You’d love for me to continue to be strung along to your whim, just as you’ve done to me these past few months.” Akechi pointed his sword at Akira, his expression hardening in rage even as his contemptuous grin widened. “‘I didn’t want to have to kill you for a second time’? _Please_. I would gladly kill you a hundred times over, and you would deserve it each time.”

“ _You fuckin’_ \--” Ryuji forced himself to a stop as Akira held out an arm in his direction, reluctantly following the wordless command as he backed down, though his expression clearly reflected his desire to beat the everloving shit out of Akechi as he continued glaring at him.

Akechi turned his gaze over to Ryuji with a hint of amusement, the corner of his lips pulled upwards in a sneer. “My, it looks like you’ve trained your guard dog well, Joker. Does he roll over on command t--”

Akechi didn’t even have the chance to finish his comment before a dagger whizzed by his face, slicing his cheek, and Akechi turned his gaze back over to Akira only to find an expression on his face that--to his absolute irritation--sent a shiver of fear down his spine.

“Try and talk about him like that again,” Akira hissed, his voice dripping with venom. “Go ahead, **_I dare you_ ** _._ ”

(Ryuji swallowed thickly as he glanced at Akira, caught between embarrassment and slight nervousness--Akira defending him so quickly wasn’t anything new, but the vicious ferocity behind it… well, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t flattered, but he would also be lying if he said he wasn’t unsettled, to say the absolute least.)

Akechi reached up with his free hand to wipe the small streak of blood off of his cheek, an expression of distaste on his face. “... In any case, my point still stands: I have absolutely no qualms about killing you all, not if it means getting the revenge I’ve worked so hard for.”

“Yes, yes, we all know about your plan for revenge,” Akira replied flippantly, catching Akechi off-guard. “How you’re Shido’s bastard son; how your mother committed suicide; how you ended up in the Metaverse, and learned about Personas and how to use their power for your own means; and how you decided to approach Shido and help build him up, just so you could have the satisfaction of revealing who you truly are to him once he’s reached his apex before taking him down.”

“... How…?” Akechi’s shocked expression was quickly covered up with indignant rage as he glared at Akira. “Where did you obtain all of that information? There’s no way you could have known--”

Akira laughed, uncaring of the sword in Akechi’s hand as he strode towards him. “I know _everything_ , Crow. I know everything there is to know about you, including things that you’ve never told anyone--how else could I have possibly charmed you so thoroughly?” Akira smirked, holding Akechi’s increasingly-agitated gaze as he spoke.

(In the back of his mind, he acknowledged the shocked and wary murmurs of his teammates, though he refused to address them--he couldn’t, he couldn’t let himself get distracted, he couldn’t let them ebb his anger or plant seeds of guilt, not when he was finally so close to letting out years upon years upon _years_ of pent-up bitterness and anger towards Akechi’s very being.)

“Knowing exactly what your favorite blend of coffee was, from the very first time you sat down in LeBlanc; knowing your work schedule, when you did and didn’t have time for lunch so I could _conveniently_ bump into you and offer to buy you something; knowing exactly what weaknesses to exploit, what to say to stroke your ego, what to do to fit your image of the kind of person you wished could fall in love with you--”

“ _Enough!_ ”

Akechi tore his mask off in a fit of rage. “ _Robin Hood!_ ”

Akira’s grin widened, sharp and twistedly gleeful, in stark contrast to Akechi’s ire and his teammate’s concerned shouts as Robin Hood fired a Kougaon at him.

He made no move to dodge, continuing to slowly clear the distance between himself and Akechi as the attack connected, and the expression of bewildered shock on Akechi’s face as he shrugged off the attack without batting an eye was more than worth the momentary scare he’d given his teammates.

“What’s wrong, Crow?” Akira taunted. “You look confused--weren’t you trying to attack me? I barely felt a thing.”

Akechi bristled and shouted another command, and Akira couldn’t help but laugh as he was hit dead-on with an Eigaon that would have most likely incapacitated anyone else.

“At this rate, I won’t even need to summon a Persona to beat you.” Akira mocked, flipping out of the way of an enraged Megidolaon that left a small crater where he’d been standing. “This isn’t like you, Crow--what happened to the calm, collected Detective Prince?”

Akechi breathed heavily, his body shaking in obvious rage and frustration, and forced himself to straighten up and compose himself, running a hand over his face before fixing Akira with a cold glare.

“Is your entourage going to just stand there? Or are they incapable of acting without orders from their leader?”

“Growing bored of me already, _Goro dearest?_ I’m hurt.”

Akechi clenched his teeth, letting out a sharp hiss of a breath before allowing himself to speak. “I’m through with your mockery, and I’m through with your games. I came here to fight you all, not to be toyed with.”

Akira waved a hand towards his teammates to keep them from stepping forward without even having to glance back at them, knowing that they were all ready and willing to back him up if need-be. “Well, unfortunately for you, I was hoping for more of a one-on-one fight.” Akira rolled his neck with a smirk and added, “I’m more than enough to take you down, anyway. Having them join in would just be overkill.”

Ryuji grimaced as he saw the seething expression on Akechi’s face as he tore off his mask and began attacking Akira with a vengeance, and one glance at his teammates showed that they were feeling equally as conflicted, if not more-so.

“I get that Joker doesn’t like Crow, but…,” Ann began quietly, her expression guilty, “... doesn’t it feel like… he’s going a bit too far?”

Futaba nodded weakly, slightly hiding behind Yusuke as she murmured, “He’s not acting like himself. Should… should we stop him…?”

Ryuji faltered, briefly considering the idea before shaking his head. “I don’t think getting in his way right now’s a good idea, ‘specially not if he wants to deal with Crow on his own. He’s being a bit of a dick, but….” He trailed off, realizing it was hard to come up with an excuse for Akira’s behavior beyond him having a grudge against someone that wronged him in a past that only Akira had memory of, before shrugging weakly. “The guy _did_ try and kill him?”

(Though Ryuji didn’t want to admit it, he was also honestly nervous just thinking about getting in between Akira and Akechi right now--though judging from the looks on his friends’ faces, none of them were too keen on trying to talk sense to Akira while he was acting so maliciously either, nor were they willing to risk putting themselves in the path of Akechi’s increasingly-violent rage.)

“ _Stop running and fight me, you attic trash!!_ ”

Akira laughed at the insult, dodging another one of Akechi’s attacks and watching in satisfaction as Akechi continued to drain himself of energy in his rage.

“Well, if you insist…. _Vishnu!_ ”

Futaba sucked in a sharp breath as the Persona appeared, and the rest of the Phantom Thieves pulled their attention away from Akira and over to her as she pulled up a screen in front of her.

“No way, that’s… that’s _crazy!_ ”

“What is?” Haru questioned, her and Yusuke looking over Futaba’s shoulders at the screen as if the symbols would make any sense to their eyes.

“That Persona’s, like… over level 80! That’s pretty much double the level of our Personas!” She scrolled through the screen, her eyes quickly scanning through the information in front of her. “It blocks Bless _and_ Curse attacks, too!”

“So Joker even knew _this_ was going to happen…?” Makoto murmured.

Ryuji ran a hand through his hair. “I remember him mentioning a while back that he had super strong Personas hidden away or whatever, but….”

“Just how powerful _is_ he…?” Morgana finished quietly, conveying the entire group’s shock as they watched Akira knock Akechi down with a single Eigaon.

Akira smirked as he approached Akechi, watching him struggle to rise to his feet. “I don’t want to hear any complaints--you’re the one who told me to fight you.”

“You…!!” Akechi lunged at Akira with his sword, stumbling when Akira smoothly evaded him before regaining his footing and swinging out again, his expression irate as Akira blocked the swing with one of his pathetically small daggers.

“How….” Akechi grit his teeth, pushing against Akira before jumping back to regain his footing when he felt Akira beginning to overpower him. “You-- you shouldn’t be stronger than me! I’ve dedicated the past _two years_ to training! You’ve been running the Metaverse for less than a _year!_ It shouldn’t be **_possible!_ ** ” He tightened his grip on his sword, his gaze burning. “How does a piece of trash like you have everything that I don’t?!”

Akira laughed humorlessly, his expression cold. “Two years? _Two years?_ You want to compare _two years_ to everything I’ve been through?”

(Ryuji winced, moving to take a step towards Akira before forcing himself to stop. Akira… Akira needed to get all of this bitterness, all of this _poison_ out of his system, no matter how unfair it was for him to be directing it at the one person in the room that was completely unaware of Akira’s situation.)

Akechi’s expression faltered briefly in confusion before hardening in irritation. “Oh yes, I’m sure that the _great Phantom Thieves_ \--the **_guardians_ ** _of_ **_justice_ ** \--went through _far_ more suffering and peril than--”

Akira didn’t let Akechi finish his mocking statement, swiping out at him with his dagger, and Akechi was only just barely able to stumble backwards in time to dodge it, his legs feeling weak as he fought off his exhaustion.

“ _You don’t know anything_ ,” Akira hissed. “You know _nothing_ of what I’ve been through.”

“Funny,” Akechi replied, glaring and swinging back out at Akira with his sword. “I could say the same thing--for all you claim to know, you know _nothing_ of who I am or what I’ve been through.”

“Don’t bother starting to try and play the victim this late in the game.” Akira tore off his mask, his expression irritated. “ _Vishnu!_ ”

The second Eigaon came fast and hit hard, and Akira’s teammates actually winced in sympathy as Akechi let out a pained shout and fell to his knees.

“... Joker, dude, I think--” Ryuji flinched as Akira’s gaze shot back to him, but forced himself to continue. “I think that’s enough. You already won, anything more’s just….”

Ryuji trailed off, his attention moving back to Akechi along with everyone else’s as weak laughter bubbled up from the fallen teen.

“‘ _You already won_ ’...? Don’t go deciding that for yourself…!!” Akechi’s irate expression morphed into a twisted grin as he forced himself to his feet despite his injuries. “All this means is that I have to start getting serious!”

Everyone watched as Akechi’s outfit changed before their eyes, white and red darkening and melding into black and purple--revealing a form that Ryuji instantly recognized, and the rest of the group easily deduced.

“The Black Masked man… so it really was Akechi…?” Ann murmured.

Haru lifted a hand to cover her mouth. “That means… the person who tried to kill my father…!”

Akechi’s twisted grin widened. “That’s right… it was me.”

“And you’re proud of that?” Akira questioned with a sharp, humorless laugh. “Stealing lives away from people, innocent or not… is being a murderer really something to take pride in?”

“Whether I take pride in it or not is of no concern to you.” Akechi fixed his gaze on Akira, his twisted grin widening. “You should be more concerned about yourself right now--after all, causing mental shutdowns isn’t all I can do. Have you heard of the psychotic breakdowns?”

“You’re saying you’re responsible for those as well?” Makoto questioned warily.

“It’s an incredible power, really.” Loki appeared behind Akechi, and Akira tensed as Akechi continued to speak. “The power to make someone go mad… I wonder how your precious leader will handle having his sanity torn away from him?”

Before anyone could respond, Loki’s power rushed out in a wave of darkness that clouded over Akira’s body, prompting panicked shouts from his friends and laughter from Akechi.

“Now, I wonder which of you he’ll turn on first?”

Ryuji paled as realization clicked in the back of his mind, and he glared at Akechi, his body shaking with rage as he tightly gripped his bat. “You bastard…!!”

He was about to step forward when the sound of laughter stopped him in his tracks.

A soft sound, bubbling up slowly until Akira was leaning over, clutching his sides with hysterical laughter.

The entire group--including Akechi--eyed Akira in a mixture of wariness and confusion as he slowly straightened up with a wide, disconcerting grin on his face.

“Really? Was that all? I’m almost disappointed.”

“That’s….” Akechi took a wary step backwards. “That’s impossible, you-- you shouldn’t even be _coherent_ \--”

Akira laughed once more, completely oblivious to the looks of unsettled fear on his friends faces as he calmly strode towards Akechi. “Do you want to know why your little trick won’t work on me?” He cleared the distance between them, gripping Akechi’s chin hard enough to bruise and leaning in close with a manic look in his eyes. “ **_You can’t tear away someone’s sanity when they have no sanity left to lose._ ** ”

Akechi ignored the brief flicker of fear that rushed through him in favor of hitting Akira in the stomach with the handle of his sword, forcing him to loosen his grip just enough for Akechi to pull away and put some distance between them--only to pale as Akira rushed at him even faster, with even more strength behind the swings of his dagger thanks to the side-effects of the berserking ability that he’d used on him.

“ _Skull_ ,” Ann hissed as Akira started fighting back against Akechi with obvious bloodlust, “Don’t you think you should do something now??”

Ryuji jumped, whispering back, “Wh-- why me?!”

“You’re the one that always snaps him out of it, aren’t you?”

“He’s never been _this_ bad!”

“You don’t--” Futaba’s voice nervously cut through their bickering, hardly able to even look at Akira in the state he was currently in. “You don’t think he’ll… turn on us like that, do you?”

Ryuji tensed. “He won’t.”

“But--”

“ _He won’t_ ,” Ryuji repeated insistently. “I know he won’t. It’s… I know it’s hard, when he’s acting like this, but just… trust him.”

Futaba dropped her gaze guiltily, though it seemed that her sentiments were echoed in the rest of the team’s expressions--which, Ryuji supposed, was fair considering how they’d only gotten one very brief glimpse at one of Akira’s… _moments._

Hell, even Ryuji was more than slightly freaked out right now, and he’d dealt with more of Akira’s breakdowns and lapses in mental stability than he could count.

So he couldn’t blame them for being scared--but even through all of this, they had to keep believing in Akira and trusting him.

Akira had gone through so much, and he was trying so hard for all of them.

If he could just get the last of this bitterness and mania out of his system….

Ryuji wanted to believe that everything would be fine after this. Of course, there would have to be explanations, and apologies, and maybe it would take the rest of the team a little while to really feel comfortable with Akira after seeing this cruel, sadistic side of him, brought to the surface by someone that they were starting to sympathize with just from how badly Akira was physically, mentally, and emotionally kicking him around, but….

Well, he swore that he would have Akira’s back no matter what. It didn’t matter if the whole world turned against Akira, he’d stay by his side until the end of time.

Akira laughed as he pushed against Akechi hard enough to force the sword out of his hand, sending it flying far enough that he wouldn’t be able to get to it before Akira’s dagger met his neck.

“Don’t worry,” Akira whispered with a smirk, his tone a mockery of gentle compassion that had Akechi seeing red. “I won’t kill you. I just want to have a bit more fun with you before we move on to bigger, more important things.”

Akira knew that there was nothing else Akechi could do--he could easily push the blade of his dagger into Akechi’s throat before Akechi could have the chance to reach for his gun, he’d essentially drained himself of all his energy (not that it mattered, since his Personas’ skills were useless against him), and he had no physical weapon left to fight with.

Akechi was done, and now Akira could finally have his rev--

Of all the things that Akira was prepared for, an uppercut to his jaw was definitely not one of them.

Akira stumbled backwards, his crazed expression quickly shifting to genuine bewilderment as he rubbed his face.

Akechi smirked, even as he shook out his hand. “Looks like you’re not so _all-knowing_ after all, hm?”

Akira blinked, trying to wrap his mind around Akechi _punching_ him--Akechi _never_ punched him, and he knew it was such a small thing to get caught off-guard over, but for some odd reason he’d never even _considered_ that as a possibility--and suddenly he was laughing again, the sound slightly less manic, slightly more genuinely amused.

“So that’s how we’re going to do this, now?”

Akechi barely had a chance to brace himself before Akira dropped his dagger in favor of clenching his hand into a fist and punching him in the face.

Now it was Akechi’s turn to look bewildered, though he was much faster to snap out of it as he let out an enraged shout and lunged at Akira with an expression filled with fury, tackling him to the ground.

Ryuji grimaced and ran a hand through his hair as he watched the two of them rolling on the ground, fists and insults both flying as their fight devolved into a bitter schoolyard brawl.

“Well, this is an… improvement, I guess?”

Morgana looked up at him in exasperation. “What part of this is an _improvement??_ ”

Ann frowned in distaste. “ _Please_ don’t say something stupid like ‘men talk with their fists’.”

Ryuji shrugged weakly, a nervous laugh slipping out. “I mean, there’s that, but like… at least no one’s trying to kill each other anymore?”

Yusuke raised an eyebrow as he saw Akechi pulling Akira’s hair while Akira shoved his elbow under his chin. “Are you certain about that?”

“Okay, at least they’re not using weapons and Personas to try and kill each other anymore.”

Makoto let out a long sigh, lifting her mask to massage the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe this. I can’t believe our leader and someone I admired as an intellectual are reducing themselves to fighting like elementary school children.”

“Should, um… should we try and stop them, or…?” Haru questioned tentatively, watching the fight in a mixture of worry and intrigue.

“Nah,” Ryuji responded with a wave of his hand. “Let ‘em get it outta their systems; they’ll run outta energy eventually.”

“Should be pretty soon, actually,” Futaba added, looking at the screen in front of her instead of at the brawl, though she seemed slightly more relaxed now that no one was acting sadistic and psychotic--it was hard to be afraid of either of them now that they’d reduced themselves to spitting immature insults while rolling around on the engine room floor trying to get the upper hand on each other. “They’re burning through their energy real fast.”

Oblivious to the other teens watching them, Akira and Akechi continued venting their anger and frustrations towards one another through sharp words and physical blows until they were both heaving for breath, their bodies bruised and their limbs feeling sluggish.

Oddly enough, for the first time in decades, Akira didn’t feel the same gut-wrenching revulsion that he normally felt as he looked at Akechi’s face--and while there was still a burning resentment simmering in Akechi’s gaze (that Akira was sure would never disappear, the damage was done and he knew he deserved it (except which of them was he talking about anymore?)), his expression seemed to have softened slightly in a mixture of defeated acceptance and mild amusement.

Akira flopped down next to Akechi with a quiet, exhausted chuckle. “Guess we can call it a draw?”

“It seems more like my victory,” Akechi responded as he glanced over at him, the slightest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “You fell first.”

Akira shot him a look that was ebbed by the hint of an amused smile on his own face. “I’m being generous by offering a draw. Unless you really want to keep going.”

Akechi tried to lift one of his arms, succeeding in getting it up about half an inch before it uselessly flopped back down at his side. “... I’ll spare you the effort and agree to a draw.”

“That’s what I thought.”

There was silence for a moment, before Akechi spoke up quietly. “Who do you see, when you look at me?”

Akira stared up at the engine room ceiling, mulling over the question before responding, “Someone who took away something precious from me, over and over. Countless times, countless years… I’ve lost to you more times than I’ve won.”

“... I had a feeling.” Akechi closed his eyes. “I’ve committed plenty of crimes in my life, and I’ll gladly take responsibility for them all--I have no regrets. But this….”

“I know,” Akira responded quietly.

Akechi let out a quiet, humorless laugh. “You knew, yet you used me anyway. You truly are a cruel person, Joker.”

“My kindness died years ago--”

“Like your sanity?” Akechi opened his eyes to glance over at Akira, a thin smile on his face. “You and I both know that’s a lie, Joker. Your kindness and sanity are both standing right over there, waiting for you.”

Akira managed to lift his gaze enough to glance over at Ryuji, who looked like he was itching to rush over to him and make sure he was alright, before letting his head fall back down as he let out a soft, weak laugh.

“I hate you. You shouldn’t know me that well.”

“The feeling is entirely mutual.”

(Except it wasn’t, Akira knew--but for once, he decided to hold his tongue and not make the jab.)

Akira switched Personas and cast Diarahan before switching Personas once more and pushing himself up to his feet, glancing down at Akechi with a smirk.

“I could heal you, if you admit that I won.”

“You say that as if I would ever accept healing from you, even without having to lie about you winning,” Akechi responded with an annoyed expression. “Just go.”

“Your pride is going to cost you your life one day, you know.”

“You are the absolute _last_ person I want to hear that from, Joker.”

Akira shrugged. “Fair.”

Akechi closed his eyes again. “... So you’re going to change Shido’s heart, I presume.”

“That’s the plan,” Akira responded as he started making his way back over to his teammates, before pausing in his tracks and glancing back at Akechi as he added, “You could join us.”

“Please. I have no place on your team; you’ve already made that quite clear.”

Akira rolled his eyes. “Don’t start acting like a drama queen. I have my reasons for not liking you, but that doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge that we have a common enemy.”

“There’s no point. Once you change his heart, everything will come out--my life, my reputation as a detective… everything will be over.” Akechi laughed weakly. “You might as well just kill me now and get it over with.”

Akira frowned in annoyance as he properly turned back to face Akechi. “And you think you’d have any more of a chance at living if you continue helping Shido?”

“... What are you saying?” Akechi questioned warily, opening his eyes to look at Akira and weakly pushing himself to sit up.

“For someone so smart, you really can be an idiot,” Akira replied with a frown, giving no further explanation as he instead turned his attention over to the person slowly approaching their group.

Ryuji’s eyes widened as he followed Akira’s gaze to a familiar face as he stepped out into the light. “ _Akechi_ …? The hell…?”

“Another one…? Wait--is he…?” Yusuke questioned.

“That’s… Shido’s cognitive version of Akechi!”

The group glanced down at Morgana in surprise before looking back over at Cognitive Akechi, taking note of the cold, blank look in his eyes as he came to a stop moments before--to everyone’s alarm, save for Akira’s--pulling out a gun and pointing it at Akechi.

“... I’ll deal with the rest of you later,” Cognitive Akechi remarked with hardly a glance in their direction, his attention focused on his counterpart. “Captain Shido’s orders…. He has no need for losers. Though really, this just moves the plan up a little--he was going to get rid of you after the election, anyway.”

“What…?!” Akechi’s eyes widened in shock, realization flickering across his face as he briefly glanced over at Akira. “... You knew about this, didn’t you?”

“It wouldn’t have been hard to guess, even if I hadn’t. Your hands are too dirty, and you know too much; of course he would want to get rid of you before everything you’ve done can get traced back to him,” Akira responded with a shrug. “Like I said before--for someone so smart, you really can be an idiot.”

“ _Joker!_ ” Ann hissed. “You’re going way too far again--”

“No, he’s right,” Cognitive Akechi interrupted. “He really is an idiot, if he truly believed that he would be spared after all the murders he undertook.” He let out a small, cold chuckle, his gaze traveling back down to his counterpart. “Or perhaps… was it that you felt good, having someone rely on you for once? Such a shame--the captain’s decided that it’s time you receive retribution for all the mental shutdowns you’ve caused.”

Akechi laughed weakly, shakily forcing himself up to his feet. “... I see…. I was wondering how he’d protect himself if I used my power to tear through his Palace--turns out you’re how. Making a _puppet_ kill me… that certainly sounds like something he’d do.”

“That’s right, I’ll do anything.” Cognitive Akechi replied, his voice remaining level and his cold expression as unwavering as the hand aiming his gun. “But look at yourself… you’re the true puppet.”

Cognitive Akechi’s expression suddenly twisted, morphing into a manic, almost inhuman grin, and not even Akira could manage to suppress a shiver of revulsion at the expression.

“You wanted to be acknowledged, didn’t you? To be loved?” Cognitive Akechi taunted, his level tone completely contrasting with his expression. “You’ve been nothing but a puppet from the very beginning.”

“... So this is what Shido thinks of Akechi…?” Makoto murmured. “It’s….”

Akira didn’t need to look behind him to feel everyone’s gazes on him, to know exactly what they were thinking.

_It’s exactly how you treated him._

He couldn’t falter this late in the game, though.

The damage was already done, and it wasn’t time to show that kind of weakness, not yet.

(Right now, his priority was continuing to guide this timeline onto the right path towards the best ending; he couldn’t let himself think about how much irreversible damage he might have done while single-mindedly focusing on his revenge.)

(The irony wasn’t lost on him, either. He supposed this was poetic justice, in a sense--or at least, everything coming full circle.)

“If you all insist on constantly interrupting, then how about I get rid of you first?”

Cognitive Akechi turned his gaze over to the Phantom Thieves, who tensed as a horde of powerful shadows appeared behind him.

“You know what?” Cognitive Akechi added, his expression relaxing into a coldly neutral look. “I’ll let someone volunteer to take his place. Who knows, you might delay his death.” He sneered. “You guys _are_ all about doing things for others, aren’t you--oh, but then again, so am I. I’m going to take all the blame for the captain. I’ll die for him too.”

“You won’t.”

Everyone looked over at Akira in surprise as he spoke.

“Oh?” Cognitive Akechi eyed him with an expression that could almost count as intrigue. “And why’s that?”

“You were the one who asked for a volunteer, right?” Akira smirked, rolling his neck as he stepped forward, his hands casually in his pockets and his posture relaxed. “Why kill him when you could kill me instead?”

“Ak-- _Joker!_ What are you _doing?!_ ” Ryuji exclaimed, panic clear in his tone and expression.

“Skull, stay back,” Akira ordered. “That goes for everyone else as well. This won’t take long, I promise.”

“You’re right, it won’t,” Cognitive Akechi added, before turning his attention over to his counterpart. “But how about this--I’ll give you one last chance. Shoot him. Kill him, and you’ll redeem yourself in the captain’s eyes.”

Akira met Akechi’s eyes, their gazes remaining locked in silent conversation before Akechi let out a weak laugh.

“... I never learn, do I. Fine.”

To the alarm of the rest of the Phantom Thieves, Akechi pulled out his gun and aimed it at Akira with a grin.

“Might as well--what do I have to lose?”

“I can’t take standing here watching this anymore!” Ryuji exclaimed, ripping off his mask. “ _Seiten Tai_ \--”

“Skull, trust me.”

Ryuji paused, his hands shaking slightly as he gripped his mask with a pained expression before throwing it on the ground in frustration. “ _God_ **_damn_ ** _it!_ ”

Akira smiled weakly. “Thank you… and I’m sorry.”

“If you’re quite finished?” Akechi quipped, taking the safety off of his gun with an audible sound. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for _so_ long.”

Cognitive Akechi’s expression split into a twisted grin once more. “Yes…. That’s the you our captain wishes to see. Now do it-- _kill him_.”

Akechi met Akira’s eyes once more, and it was only the very slight inclination of Akira’s head--a movement that could barely even be considered a nod to someone who was looking for it--that prevented Ryuji from ignoring Akira’s orders and rushing forward to tackle him out of the way as Akechi pulled the trigger.

Akira wasn’t sure which of his teammates screamed as the gun was fired--it sounded like Ann, though it could have been Futaba--but the sound mixed with the echo of the gunshot, before quickly being followed by a choked noise of pain.

From Cognitive Akechi.

“Wh… what the hell just…?” Ryuji breathed out, glancing between the smoking gun pointed at Akira and the bullet wound in Cognitive Akechi’s stomach in bewilderment.

“R… repel--” Futaba shakily pulled up a screen in front of her. “He switched Personas before; he equipped one that repels Gun attacks--it ricocheted off of him and at Cognitive Akechi!”

“Ah, so that’s what you had planned,” Akechi commented with only the slightest hint of intrigue. “I was wondering why you seemed so confident.”

“Yet you still chose to shoot at me, even without knowing whether I really had a plan or not,” Akira replied with an amused smirk. “I don’t know whether to be flattered by your trust or wounded by your apathy.”

“ _You…!!_ ”

Akira and Akechi both glanced over at Cognitive Akechi, watching as he gripped his stomach with an irate expression before glancing at each other once more and nodding.

“Sorry guys,” Akira offered as he glanced back at his teammates, moving out of the way as Akechi shot a second bullet straight into an emergency button on the wall behind him and the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

“Joker, what are you doing?!” Makoto demanded.

“Protecting you,” Akira responded, giving them a smile seconds before a wall shot up from the ground, splitting up their group as Akira and Akechi remained trapped inside with Cognitive Akechi and his shadows.

“ _Akira!!_ ” Ryuji banged on the wall, his face pale, and he barely even registered Ann and Morgana next to him doing the same, with everyone else standing behind them with expressions of fear and dread.

“I know I’m asking a lot from all of you, after everything I’ve done, and everything I’ve kept from you,” Akira said. “But please… trust me.”

Futaba scanned the enemies, her body shaking and her face pale. “But-- those shadows are too powerful for you, and Crow’s too weak to help you fight! You can’t--”

She paused, registering Akira changing his Persona, and somehow her face managed to turn even paler than before as she scanned the new Persona.

“That’s….”

Before the rest of the group could ask her what was going on, a soft, childlike giggle met their ears, a chill simultaneously running down everyone’s spine.

“ **_Won’t you please die for me?_ ** ”

The sound of screams--Cognitive Akechi’s screams, they could only hope--faded into garbled noise alongside the inhuman sounds of the shadows as they dissolved away, and Futaba just barely had the chance to warn everyone to get back before there was the sound of a Megidolaon-induced explosion that took down the wall between them.

Once the dust cleared, the Phantom Thieves managed to get a glimpse of a small blond-haired girl in a blue dress, who curtsied for Akira and shot them an unsettling grin before disappearing--but it was obvious from how Akechi was collapsed on his knees, his face white as a ghost, that they probably wouldn’t have wanted to see much more than that.

They’d had more than enough of Akira being terrifying for one lifetime after today; no need to add to the nightmare fuel.

Akira tensed as he reluctantly glanced over at his friends--if he even had a right to call them that anymore; he knew that they probably resented him for how he acted and all the cruel things he said, and they were going to be angry with him, and--

Ryuji was the first to reach Akira, wasting no time in grabbing his idiot boyfriend and pulling him into an almost bruising kiss that left Akira weak-kneed and seeing stars.

“Don’t you _ever_ ,” Ryuji began as he pulled back, his expression somehow managing to be both irate and relieved at the same time, “pull any of this shit again, you hear me?”

Akira wanted to respond with a self-deprecative quip-- _which shit, acting like a sadistic maniac or acting like a suicidal martyr?_ \--but all he could manage was a dazed nod.

This seemed to be enough to break whatever tension was in the air, as the rest of the group rushed towards Akira, crowding around him with hugs and hands on his shoulders and scolding words belied by relieved smiles.

The only reason Akira kept forcing back the tears that threatened to fall was because he stubbornly refused to show any more weakness in front of Akechi than he already had.

_And speaking of Akechi…._

Akira blinked a few times to make sure his eyes were dry before glancing back at Akechi, who was watching them all from his spot on the ground with an expression of distaste that only just barely hid traces of jealousy.

“I hope you know you’re coming with us,” he said, catching both his teammates and Akechi off-guard.

“I will do no such thing,” Akechi responded as soon as he managed to pull himself together, shooting a glare up at Akira for extra measure. “If you aren’t going to kill me, then just leave.”

The group glanced at each other with uncertain expressions, and Akira took it upon himself to voice the worry that was on their mind.

“Do you really think we could just leave you here, now that you know I’m alive?”

“Do you really think killing my cognitive self will be enough to stop Shido’s palace from killing me after you’re gone?” Akechi replied coolly. “I can assure you--I won’t be coming after you any longer, so you and your entourage can sleep soundly.”

Akira shrugged. “All the more reason for you to come with us. You haven’t earned the right to die yet, at least not before you’ve served your time for all the lives you took--and besides… for someone who dirtied his hands this much with the sole purpose of getting revenge, you should at least be trying a little harder to cling to life until Shido’s groveling at your feet, don’t you think? Otherwise everything you’ve done would have been for nothing.”

Akechi mulled over Akira’s words silently, and Akira could see that--though Akechi’s pride refused to allow him to admit it--he had gotten through to him.

“That doesn’t mean that I’m going to agree to go with you,” Akechi responded stubbornly, his expression faltering as Akira laughed.

“I think you’re misunderstanding something here, _Goro dearest_ ,” Akira teased, approaching Akechi and--to everyone’s surprise--picking him up with a minor bit of struggling and managing to get him over his shoulder with a devious grin. “I wasn’t asking whether you wanted to come with us--I was _telling you_ that you’re coming.”

Akechi gaped, his face burning from sheer humiliation as Akira carried him like a sack of potatoes slung over his shoulder. “Wh-- Joker, put me down _this instant!_ ”

“Nope~” Akira replied, popping the “p” and laughing as Akechi weakly struggled to free himself. “You hardly have any energy left as it is, Crow. I’d suggest not wearing yourself out any further.”

Akira started walking, and Akechi’s humiliated embarrassment grew as he saw the rest of the Phantom Thieves watching the two of them with mixed expressions of surprise and amusement, trying and failing to hide their laughter at the sight of the proud detective prince being carried in such an unflattering manner as they all made their way out of the engine room.

Akechi shot a glare at Ryuji when he approached and walked alongside Akira, his irritation growing as Ryuji grinned.

“Dude, just give it up. Once Joker’s got his head set on something, there’s no talking sense into him.”

Akira smirked and gave Akechi’s ass a pat, relishing in the choked, embarrassed noise that Akechi let out in response. “Exactly, listen to Skull.”

“ _Kurusu I swear if you don’t get your hand off of my--_ ”

Akechi briefly had the wind knocked out of him as Akira “accidentally” jostled him, cutting his threat off.

“Whoops, sorry, hard to balance all this bullshit on one shoulder.”

Ryuji couldn’t cover his mouth fast enough to muffle his laughter as he cracked up, Akira’s faux-innocent expression and Akechi’s blatantly offended expression making the whole situation even more amusing.

Finally, after a long, mentally and emotionally-draining night, the dust was beginning to settle and things were slowly starting to creep towards something resembling normalcy--if Akechi’s (hopefully) empty threats and Akira’s barbed teasing could be considered normal, anyway.

(It was a hell of a lot better than the terrifying show that the two had put on before though, that’s for sure.)

Ryuji was relieved to see that everyone else had more or less begun to relax as well, now that all the danger had passed: Ann walked on Ryuji’s other side with Morgana next to her, and she shook her head in resigned amusement as she watched Akira and Akechi, Morgana seeming to mirror her sentiments as he let out a drawn-out sigh; Futaba walked on Akira’s other side and teased Akechi with a mischievous grin while Haru gently chided her, telling her to be nice without actually making any attempts to stop her; and Makoto walked behind them alongside Yusuke, her expression a touch more amused than she normally allowed while Yusuke, like Ryuji, merely seemed relieved that this nightmare of a night was drawing to a relatively-peaceful close.

Exiting Shido’s palace was made much easier with the use of a Goho-M, and before everyone knew it, they were standing crowded together outside the Diet Building.

Akira was at least kind enough to carefully set Akechi down--instead of shrugging him off his shoulder and onto the cement ground--before turning his attention over to his friends.

“Haru? Think you’d be able to have your driver pick us up and drop us off at LeBlanc?” Akira asked.

Morgana immediately bristled. “Are you seriously planning on having Akechi stay the night?”

“It’s fine, he won’t do anything,” Akira replied with a casual wave of his hand. “And it’ll be easier to keep an eye on him if he stays with us.”

“You realize I can hear everything you’re saying, right?” Akechi wryly commented from his position on the floor, though he made no attempt to move, his expression clearly conveying that he’d given up for the time being.

Akira smiled and gestured to Akechi’s limp form. “See? Not doing anything.”

Ryuji sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I dunno, man… maybe I should stay with you too--”

“I mean absolutely no offense,” Akechi began with a plastic smile, “but if I have to put up with you two making out all night, I can’t promise anyone will leave that attic alive by morning.”

Ryuji tensed and glared, though his expression faltered as Akira chuckled.

“Green isn’t a very flattering color on you, Goro.”

“ _Anyway_ ,” Ann interrupted before Akechi and Akira could start bickering again, “if Akira thinks it’s fine, then Akechi can stay the night with him--but what are we doing after that?”

“Everyone can come to LeBlanc tomorrow after school,” Akira replied. “We’ll put together a plan for sending the calling card and taking down Shido.”

There was a chorus of agreements and nods, and Haru arranged to have her driver bring Akira and Akechi (and Ryuji, upon his insistence and to Akechi’s annoyance) to LeBlanc to avoid the attention that they would garner walking together, with the exhausted detective prince reluctantly balanced between a blond and a shadily-dressed teenager as the two of them hoisted him up to his feet.

Morgana went with Futaba, who was escorted home by Yusuke and Ann, while Makoto took Haru up on her offer for a ride home, the two of them sitting closer together than what was probably necessary as they slid into one of Haru’s father’s many high-end cars.

Akechi stubbornly stumbled out of the car once they reached LeBlanc, refusing to accept help from Akira or Ryuji as he waited for Akira to unlock the door before making his way into the cafe and up the stairs.

“... Well, at least he’s not fighting us on staying here anymore,” Ryuji muttered, pulling Akira in for a quick kiss while Akechi was out of sight before heading upstairs along with Akira, who seemed completely content and at ease in the wake of the quick, affectionate gesture.

Akechi looked annoyed as he saw Akira’s expression, but he made no move to say anything, instead continuing to remain stubborn as he took off his shoes and laid down on the couch without sparing either of the room’s occupants another glance.

Akira rolled his eyes, getting out a spare blanket and tossing it on top of Akechi, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips as Akechi let out a muffled noise of annoyance in response.

“It gets a bit cold up here, so you’ll need that.”

Ryuji couldn’t help but marvel over the change in Akira’s demeanor--while he wasn’t acting outright pleasant towards Akechi, the venomous loathing that had been constantly bubbling beneath the surface every time Akira so much as thought about Akechi seemed to have pretty much completely vanished, and Ryuji couldn’t be happier to see it gone.

If there was one good thing that came from this hellish night, Ryuji supposed it was Akira finally releasing all of that angry bitterness that had been brewing inside of him for decades.

Ryuji was pulled from his thoughts as Akira took his hand and pulled him down onto the bed with him, and he kicked off his shoes before shifting to lay down, feeling too tired to even bother changing out of his clothes.

He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to his mother to let her know that he was staying over Akira’s again before setting his phone aside and pulling Akira closer, smiling as Akira immediately curled up against him with a soft sigh and closed his eyes.

Apparently Akira was more exhausted than he let on, as he fell asleep almost immediately, leaving Ryuji and Akechi both in an awkward silence as they tried to pretend that they were asleep.

Ryuji knew that, despite what Akira thought, it would be foolish to let his guard down and fall asleep in the same room as someone who expressed wanting to kill both of them multiple times--yet when he heard Akechi’s breathing evening out, his exhaustion apparently beating out his stubbornness, Ryuji couldn’t help but let the tension ease out of his body as he drifted off to sleep as well.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It couldn't have been that long since I updated this fic, right?  
> "Updated: 2019-01-21"  
> ... Oops;;
> 
> Tbh I had the first scene in this chapter written for months, so when I got up to posting chapter 14 I was like "eh I only have half-ish of a chapter left to write, how long could it possibly take"--except I forgot that I still needed to edit my Big Bang fic which took up the majority of February, then there was burnout and rl stuff, and trying to scrounge together enough writing ability to put together something to contribute to AkiRen week at the beginning of April, and once I actually did finish this chapter I wanted to try and get a head start on the next chapter before I posted this one but that didn't happen--
> 
> Basically tl;dr I'm a mess, but I'm still alive and still intending on seeing this fic through to its end no matter how long it takes lmao (Though honestly, with only 5 chapters left I'm really hoping to try and finish this fic by the summer, but I'd rather not make any promises that I can't keep rip;;)
> 
> I know this chapter is a bit slow and probably doesn't make up for keeping you guys waiting for two months, but hopefully it's still enjoyable regardless ;u;

“I must say, even after all this… I'm still genuinely surprised by how cruel you can be, Kurusu-kun.”

Akira smirked as he set down a cup of coffee in front of Akechi, and no one in the room--not Ryuji who had taken the day off from school to stay with Akira, nor Morgana or Futaba who had come to LeBlanc first thing in the morning, nor Sojiro who was straightening up behind the counter preparing to open up shop for the day--could say anything in response.

They all knew that Akira deserved to flaunt this victory over Akechi after everything he’d been through.

(Even if in the back of Ryuji’s mind, and Morgana’s, and Futaba’s, they knew that Akechi didn’t  _ entirely _ deserve it, at least not for the reasons Akira was blaming him for. Sojiro, on the other hand… well, since all he was able to take from the crazy situation was that Akechi had tried to kill Akira, it was safe to say that he wasn’t exactly the detective’s biggest fan.)

“Now isn’t  _ that _ the pot calling the kettle black,” Akira quipped lightly as he moved on to prepare Ryuji’s coffee with obvious care, much more than he’d put into Akechi’s.

Irritatingly enough, Akechi still found himself loving the taste of the coffee that was given to him, but he supposed that was just another aspect of Akira’s mental and emotional manipulation--or perhaps, even more frustratingly, Akira just genuinely knew how he enjoyed his coffee, regardless of how much or how little care he put into making it.

“You aren’t denying it,” Akechi pointed out after taking a sip of his coffee.

Akira shrugged. “I have no reason to. You’re not wrong.”

“So you’re at least capable of acknowledging it, then.” Akechi gave Akira a thin smile. “I’m sure your friends will all be thrilled to hear that, with how they were looking at you yesterday. Isn’t that right, you three?”

Futaba flinched and sunk down in her booth seat, nervously hugging Morgana who hissed at Akechi, mirroring Ryuji’s irritation as he glared at the detective.

“... What’s this about yesterday?” Sojiro questioned cautiously, glancing at each of the kids in the room in turn.

Akira shook his head, his expression calm in stark contrast to everyone else’s, and he was only aware of his hands shaking once Ryuji reached out over the counter to grab one in his own and give it a reassuring squeeze, marginally helping him relax.

“Let’s just say things hit a boiling point yesterday, and I may have… said a bit too much.” Akira responded tersely, before relaxing his gaze slightly as he glanced over at his friends. “I’m sorry for making you all uncomfortable.”

“Are they really the ones you should be apologizing to here?” Akechi asked wryly.

“Oh don’t even start,” Akira replied, rolling his eyes. He gave Ryuji’s hand a squeeze in return, silently letting him know that he was alright, before letting go and returning his attention to the infuser. “I may have gone too far, but you’re not exactly a faultless victim either. Don’t think that just because I saved your life, that suddenly means I’m feeling sorry for you.”

“Good.” Akechi cracked a humorless smile as his reply was met with a few expressions of surprise, as well as a satisfied look from Akira. “Did you all really think I would  _ want _ any of you to save me for such a pathetic reason? I would have rather you left me to die if you only saved me out of some misplaced sympathy, or for some stupidly naive reason like ‘everyone deserves a second chance’ or ‘I want everyone to get through this alive and together’.”

Akira laughed, the sound jarringly genuine despite the morbid conversation. “Like I’ve told you before, Goro--I know you too well. You’re too proud to let someone push their morals and their justice onto you like that.” He shrugged and added, “Honestly, I was being selfish in saving you. Like I said last night, I want you to live so you can atone for the crimes you’ve committed, and to give myself the satisfaction of knowing that you’re not taking the easy way out. It has nothing to do with wanting you to change or wanting you to live for the sake of being alive.”

Akechi took another sip of his coffee, and Ryuji was surprised to find that Akechi’s expression seemed to be more relieved than upset by Akira’s blunt confession.

“I wouldn’t expect any less,” Akechi replied. “In fact, I’d be insulted if you tried backpedaling and giving me a half-assed reasoning for sparing my life, especially after yesterday.”

“Oh Goro dearest, is that your way of telling me that you can’t stand my saccharine lies anymore? After all the time and effort I lovingly poured into each and every word, just for you?” Akira put a hand over his chest. “You wound me.”

“Spare me your theatrics, Kurusu,” Akechi replied with a roll of his eyes.

“You love my theatrics,” Akira shot back with a smirk that widened as Akechi refused to meet his gaze.

“ _ In any case _ … I certainly hope you don’t think that saving me changes anything,” Akechi pointed out, forcefully retaking control of the conversation with a cold smile. “After all, now that you made the mistake of helping me leave instead of letting me die in his palace, I could easily go to Shido and completely ruin all of your plans. I'm sure he would  _ love _ to know that the leader of the Phantom Thieves is still alive.”

Akechi took pleasure in the way everyone in the room tensed up at the threat--

Everyone, of course, for Akira.

Akira--the frustrating, beautiful, smug asshole that he was--seemed unperturbed despite the threat being aimed at him, though he did pause what he was doing to look over at Akechi.

“You won’t,” he said calmly, the certainty in his tone and the lack of concern in his expression prompting Akechi’s smile to fall into an irritated frown.

“There’s nothing preventing me from--”

Akira sauntered over to Akechi, leaning against the bar counter until there was hardly a few inches of space between the two of them, and smirked as he tapped a finger to Akechi’s lips. “ _ You won’t _ .”

Ryuji wished he had his phone out to record the almost comical blush that rose from the bottom of Akechi’s neck all the way up to his forehead and the tips of his ears, Akechi’s mouth opening and closing with the most indignant and frustrated expression that he’d ever seen on the normally-composed detective’s pretty-boy face.

Thankfully, Futaba beat him to the punch and was recording the scene with a mischievous grin, now that the danger of the moment had passed.

“...  _ I hate you _ ,” Akechi hissed, his flustered irritation growing as Akira straightened up with a satisfied smirk.

“No you don’t,” Akira replied with such certainty that it made Akechi let out an irritated groan, which (thankfully) covered up the muffled chortling that was barely disguised as coughing from Sojiro in the background as he tried and failed to pretend like he wasn’t listening.

(To be fair, the kid had it coming for everything he did as far as Sojiro could tell--so he wasn’t about to get in the way of a little bit of petty teasing so long as no one was getting hurt, and so long as Akira wasn't in any actual danger.)

“And you know what’s the best part?” Akira added as he moved over slightly towards Ryuji. “You’ll still love me even if I do this.”

Ryuji’s not-so-subtle snickering was cut off as Akira abruptly grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss, moving one of his hands to flip Akechi off while doing so.

There was a muffled “ _ hoo-boy _ ” in the background, as well as some quiet cackling from one of the booths and a surprised cat-like yelp--but none of the other three teenagers paid any mind to them, Ryuji caught in between embarrassment and smug satisfaction, Akira smirking vindictively, and Akechi seething as he glared at Akira, hating that he couldn’t say a damn thing to rebut Akira’s claim.

* * *

It was later in the day that the rest of the Phantom Thieves filed into the cafe, trailing upstairs one at a time to find Futaba, Akira, and Ryuji all squished together on the couch playing video games while Akechi sat awkwardly on Akira’s desk chair, his gaze shifting from the television to the various items littered about the room as if trying to take everything in without being obvious about it. Morgana’s sharp gaze was locked onto Akechi even as he sat curled up on Akira’s lap, and each person that entered the attic did just the same--Makoto, Haru, and Ann all sat on the bed, watching Akechi warily, and Yusuke opted to stand near the bed, giving the detective a wide berth that made his distrust clear as day.

“Now that we’re all here,” Akira began, pausing the game despite Futaba’s annoyed groan and setting his controller down on the floor, “we should start discussing the calling card.”

“Actually… can we just-- I dunno, talk about what happened last night first?” Ann questioned tentatively. “No offense, but you were a bit….”

“Much?” Akira supplied wryly, before letting out a sigh, taking in the feeling of his boyfriend pressed up against one side of him and his little sister figure pressed up against his other side to keep him calm as he spoke. “Honestly though, you’re right--and I apologized to Ryuji, Futaba, and Morgana earlier, but since you guys weren’t here… I know I went too far, and I’m sorry for making you all uncomfortable. I wasn’t in my right mind, and I know that isn’t an excuse but I can promise that it will never happen again.”

A heavy silence filled the room as the rest of the Phantom Thieves exchanged glances, before Makoto sighed and spoke up on the group’s behalf.

“While I can’t say that I approve of your… extreme actions, I think we can all agree to put this behind us, at the very least--so long as we know that you won’t have a relapse of any sort.”

Akira’s expression relaxed in relief as he heard the scattered murmurs of agreement and the tentative smiles on his friends’ faces--he could tell that he wasn’t completely forgiven by most of them just yet (Ryuji was always an exception, and Futaba and Morgana seemed to have already moved past any inhibitions they had towards him as the day progressed), but he was grateful that everyone was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and continue to put their trust in him as both their leader and their friend, even if it was just because they knew that there were more important things to focus on at the moment.

“Well, now that you all wrapped up your lovely little friendship talk,” Akechi interrupted with a clipped tone and a plastic smile, “perhaps we should get to discussing the  _ real _ reason that we gathered here?”

“Now now Goro, no need to get jealous,” Akira teased with a smirk, enjoying the way the detective tensed and shot him an annoyed look. “We were just about to get to that.”

As Akira spoke, turning his attention away from Akechi and back to the rest of his friends, his expression turned more serious.

“As you all know, the calling card for Shido has to be done on a much larger scale than any we’ve done before--but I can guarantee that once he sees it, the treasure will manifest.”

“If I may?” Akechi interrupted, prompting Akira to look over at him. “How exactly will you go about delivering this calling card? Just so you know, any of your previous methods will undoubtedly be stopped before they can so much as reach his desk.”

Futaba grinned and hopped up out of her seat, eager to rub her plan in the know-it-all detective’s face. “Yeah, we already figured as much--that’s why we decided to go with something even flashier than our usual calling cards: a broadcast! Phones, computers, TVs, the bigger the better-- _ everyone’s _ gonna see it!”

“A broadcast….” Akechi’s brows furrowed as he mulled over the idea. “To be quite honest, I think that might actually work--at the very least, it would almost assure that Shido would receive the message.”

Futaba puffed out her chest proudly. “Right? It’s foolproof!”

“Except, of course, for the possibility of the broadcast being shut down before it can reach Shido,” Akechi pointed out with a small smile.

“Pshhh,  _ please _ .” Futaba rolled her eyes, waving a hand flippantly. “There’s no  _ way _ they’d be able to shut us down, not with me in charge--that’s kinda my specialty, y’know. I could take care of anything they try to pull in my sleep.”

Akira nodded in agreement, a proud smile on his face. “Honestly, I’m not worried about the calling card--I know Futaba will handle it, and Shido will see it. All we need to do is pick a day to record the calling card, give Futaba some time to put it all together, and decide when to broadcast it.”

“And then we storm the palace and take that bastard down,” Ryuji finished with a grin.

Akechi’s lips pursed in a thin, annoyed frown. “If you think taking Shido down will be easy--”

“It won’t,” Akira agreed, surprising the rest of the group. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you all beforehand. Shido is going to be one of the toughest opponents we’ve ever had to fight, and we need to go in fully prepared: we need upgraded weapons and equipment, plenty of medicine, and of course, a solid strategy to take him down.”

Akira rose to his feet, and Futaba took his place on the couch as Akira moved to the center of the room to address everyone.

“Shido’s shadow has a total of five forms that we’ll need to defeat in order to take him down,” Akira began, waiting for the incredulous chatter from his teammates to die down before turning his attention over to Akechi, who was the only one to look more annoyed than surprised by the information. “I take it you already knew that?”

“I’ve attempted to fight him on my own once before, but never made it past his second form without having to retreat,” Akechi confessed, chuckling bitterly as he added, “Of course he would have  _ five _ forms to deal with.”

“And to make matters worse, each form is stronger than the last, and has to be handled with a different approach.” Akira frowned. “We’re going to need a lot of teamwork to get through this--I’ll be ordering a lot of you to switch out mid-battle, so everyone needs to stay alert.”

“Of course, that goes without saying,” Morgana replied, and the rest of the group echoed their agreement. “We’re in your capable hands, Leader.”

Akira cracked a small smile, touched by his teammates’ trust in him. “Thank you.”

“So who’s on the first lineup?” Ryuji asked, leaning forward eagerly.

Akira couldn’t help but laugh softly, even as he said, “Sorry Ryuji, I’m going to need Ann and Makoto for the first fight. You’ll come in later though, I promise.”

Ryuji sat back in his seat with a disappointed frown, unused to being benched. Akira always kept him by his side no matter who they were going up against, but he forcefully reminded himself that Akira was trying to be as careful as possible now that they were this close to finishing the year--and if that meant the safer choice was for Ryuji to not be by Akira’s side for the entire fight, then so be it as long as everything turned out okay in the end.

“Isn’t there usually one more, though?” Haru asked. “Who will the last person be?”

“Goro, of course.”

The words had barely left Akira’s lips before the entire group erupted in a mixture of shock and disapproval, and he held up his hands, gesturing for everyone to quiet down even as he locked gazes with Akechi, the only one who hadn’t reacted to Akira’s declaration.

“Are you sure that’s a wise decision?” Akechi said after a moment, a cold smile on his face as he added, “Your friends are right to be wary--I could easily stab you in the back while you’re distracted, you know.”

“You won’t, though.” Akira replied. “Not when you’re going up against someone you’ve wanted to kill for much longer.”

Akechi leaned back in his seat, his expression briefly twisting in an irritated scowl before he covered it up with a thin smile, his hands folded on his lap. “I hope you realize this doesn’t mean I’m going to cooperate with you.”

“I know. That’s specifically why I’m putting you on the lineup, and keeping you there for the entire fight.” Before any of his friends could interrupt, Akira turned his attention over to them and asked, “Do you all really think he’ll calmly stand on the sidelines and watch us fight the man he’s been plotting to take down for years?”

There were a few disgruntled noises and murmurs of “I guess not” scattered around the room in response, which Akira took to be as close to an understanding of his decision as he was going to get from his team.

“Trust me, I don’t like it either.” Akira frowned in annoyance, his expression almost a pout. “Because I have to account for you potentially rushing in and throwing everything into disarray, I’m losing out on one spot on my lineup that Ryuji could have filled.”

Though Ryuji knew it was silly of him--even as the mood lifted and quiet laughter filled the room, embarrassing him as a few teasing comments were sent his way about him and Akira being glued at the hip--he couldn’t help but feel slightly relieved by the knowledge that Akira was just as bothered by having to bench Ryuji as Ryuji himself was.

Akechi, for his part, rolled his eyes with absolutely no traces of sympathy. “Oh, you poor thing. How  _ ever _ will you survive.”

Akira let out a drawn-out, dramatic sigh. “I’ll manage somehow, no thanks to you.”

“If we could please focus?” Makoto interrupted, before Akechi and Akira could start bickering once more. “We need to figure out a plan for the other four forms as well.”

“Right, right, sorry.” Akira frowned in thought. “The first one reflects physical and gun attacks, which is why I need strong magic users to hit him hard--the second one is pretty much the same except flipped, so magic attacks are reflected and we’ll need to hit hard with physical and gun attacks. Ryuji, Haru, I’m bringing you two in for that one. The third form is where things will get a bit tricky….”

As Akira continued to break down each of Shido’s forms one by one, explaining his strengths and weaknesses and declaring who would be a best match for each fight, Akechi sat back in his seat and silently observed the leader of the Phantom Thieves in his element. He loathed the feeling of begrudging respect that was welling up inside of him, just from listening to the sheer amount of knowledge that Akira had and the sound nature of each and every plan that he laid out for his team, and he had a feeling that this was probably--in some twisted way, whether Akira realized it or not--still part of Akira’s manipulation over him.

There was no real reason for him to be here, to listen to their plans and watch their trust and camaraderie play out in front of him while knowing he wasn’t allowed to be a part of it--and yet he couldn’t bring himself to move out of his seat, as if chained by the invisible force of Akira’s gaze every time he so much as glanced at him.

Akechi hated it.

(He hated it, yet he still remained firmly seated in his chair, still continued to listen to every word exchanged within the small confines of the trashy attic Akira called home, still allowed his gaze to flicker around the room before returning to Akira as if drawn to him--)

“And after we take that bastard Shido down,” Ryuji said, his boisterous tone jarring Akechi from his thoughts, “it’s smooth sailing, right?”

Akira smiled wryly. “I wish it was that simple, but unfortunately you’re forgetting one thing.”

As Ryuji’s brows furrowed in confusion, Morgana let out an annoyed noise as he glared at him. “Mementos! We still haven’t reached the bottom yet!”

“Oh! Oh yeah, sorry.” Ryuji rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Forgot about that.”

“The bottom of Mementos?”

Akechi didn’t realize that the question had quietly slipped out until everyone’s gazes turned over to him, and he was quick to cover up his surprise with another TV-worthy smile as he said, “I haven’t ventured down any further than you all have, regretfully, so I was unaware that there was an end to Mementos at all, let alone that there was something of interest at the bottom.”

“There are… a few things of interest in the depths of Mementos, but it’s nothing that we have to worry about at the moment,” Akira replied, eager to push off thinking about the memories associated with the aftermath of discovering and fighting the Holy Grail. “We should focus on dealing with Shido first, and after he’s been taken care of and we’ve given ourselves some time to rest, then we can discuss Mementos--though,” Akira added as he turned his gaze away from his teammates and back over to Akechi, “what I  _ can _ say right now is that I want you to journey down to the bottom of Mementos with us.”

Even Akechi couldn’t hide his surprise by the sincere request, though wariness quickly took the place of surprise as he asked, “Is there a particular reason why?”

“In all the times I’ve lived through this year, you’ve never survived past Shido’s palace.” The statement was followed by a heavy silence, one that filled the room and made it difficult for anyone to so much as glance in Akechi’s direction, let alone speak. Akira took that moment to gather his thoughts and decide how best to phrase what he wanted to say, before deciding to just get straight to the point. “I know I shouldn’t be taking risks this late in the game, but I can’t help but want to satisfy my own curiosity. I want to know what, if anything, will change by having you see this timeline to the end with us.”

Akechi mulled over Akira’s words, parsing and analyzing them with what little information he had before responding. “In other words, you want to continue to use me for your own gain.”

There were a few winces scattered around the room in response to his harsh words, yet Akira was unfazed as he shrugged.

“Essentially, yes--but you’re doing just the same at this point, aren’t you?”

Akechi cracked a thin, humorless smile at that. “I suppose so, loathe as I am to agree with you.” Rising to his feet, he added, “For now, as you said before, we should focus on bringing Shido to justice. Anything else can be discussed after I’ve had the pleasure of watching him grovel at my feet--and who knows, perhaps I’ll be in a good enough mood then to consider your request.”

With that, Akechi excused himself and made his way towards the stairs, putting an end to both the conversation and the slight air of tension that had been filling the room from his presence alone.

“Is it truly wise to just let him go?” Yusuke questioned, watching the stairs even after the detective was gone.

“He won’t sell us out,” Akira responded, letting out a quiet sigh as he sat back down on the couch in between Futaba and Ryuji. “Like I said before, Akechi is using us just as much as I’m using him. He knows he won’t be able to take Shido down without us.”

Ryuji frowned, feeling a bitterness welling up inside of him at the thought of Akira placing even a modicum of trust in Akechi after everything the bastard had done to him and to all of them, but was unable to hold on to the feeling for long--not when Akira was leaning against him, the hints of stress in Akira’s face melting away into a small smile.

“I still don’t trust him, of course,” Akira added after a moment, as if reading Ryuji’s mind--or perhaps more realistically, he was just reading the slight tenseness in Ryuji’s frame. “But I know how his mind works better than anyone, for better or worse.”

“Well, I don’t think anyone here really trusts him either, but we all trust you,” Morgana replied, hopping down off of the arm of the couch and moving to sit on Akira’s lap. “If you say that he won’t sell us out, then let’s forget about him for the moment and focus on getting the calling card ready.”

Akira reached down and pet Morgana, smiling as he purred under his touch. “I know I don’t deserve your trust--all of your trust--after everything that’s happened, but I appreciate it more than I could ever say.”

“Everyone makes mistakes,” Haru replied with a gentle, understanding smile. “What matters is that you acknowledged them and promised not to repeat them.”

“Yeah, don’t beat yourself up over it,” Ann added. “We talked it out, so let’s just focus on moving forward--and besides, it’d take a lot more than you keeping some stuff from us and acting like a jerk to make us lose our trust in you.”

Akira chuckled. “I suppose so, but I’m still grateful nonetheless.”

“C’mon, let’s drop the boring serious talk and focus on planning out the calling card!” Futaba interrupted with an eager smile, nudging against him as she tried to lighten up the mood. “I wanna make it as flashy as possible! We can write a script for it and everything!” She pointed a finger at Yusuke and added, “Inari’s in charge of all the artsy stuff, like the lighting and whatever!”

“Cinematography isn’t exactly my forte, but I suppose I’m up to the challenge,” Yusuke responded with a smile.

“That’s the spirit!” Futaba grinned. “This’ll be our greatest calling card yet!”

Akira settled back against Ryuji as the group began to plan out the video, a smile on his face as he observed all of his friends’ excited expressions.

He knew that this was just the calm before yet another large storm, but he couldn’t help the way his heart swelled in a mixture of fondness and confidence as he basked in the feeling of his team’s exuberance.

They could do this. They would do this.

Akira would make sure of it, come hell or high water.

* * *

As it had each time Akira managed to make it this far in the timeline, the broadcast went exactly as planned--only this time, with the Phantom Thieves being in the public’s good graces and their popularity at an all-time high, people were getting even more hyped up about the declaration of war against Shido, who had much less support this time around than Akira could ever remember him having.

All the signs were pointing towards things going smoothly, and Akira was caught between feeling thrilled by the changes and apprehensive about things going a little  _ too _ well.

What if something ended up going wrong at the last minute? What if Shido did something unexpected in an act of desperation to keep the Phantom Thieves from beating him? What if--

A gentle nudge against his side pulled Akira from his thoughts, and he found Ryuji standing next to him with a reassuring grin, his unwavering confidence helping to push aside all of Akira’s doubts without a single word needed to be exchanged between the two of them.

Everything was going to be fine. They were more than prepared to handle whatever Shido threw at them.

Akira gently bumped his shoulder against Ryuji’s in a silent thank you before stepping forward towards the entrance to the palace, his teammates all falling into step behind him.

He grinned sharply, adjusting his gloves as he let one confident declaration ring out over the sounds of the security on high alert.

“ _ It’s showtime! _ ”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, um... at least it wasn't a full two months this time?;; Lmao
> 
> I would love to blame real life stuff, but even if that was a part of it, the long wait was mainly just a combination of me struggling with the beginning of this chapter and me binge-playing P4 in the span of a month and getting completely hyperfixated on it lmao;; But I'm still determined to finish this fic sometime this year, even if I probably won't be able to finish it by the one year anniversary like I was hoping ;_;
> 
> Anyway, a bit of a warning about this chapter, which I'll add to the tags as well: there's some descriptions of past deaths and implied suicidal thoughts, so keep that in mind while reading! I wasn't sure how well this chapter ended up being since I wrote it in bits and pieces over two months, but I showed it to one of my friends and she said she cried so I'm taking that as a sign that the chapter did its job lmao

“Well, what do we have here? A couple of lowlife rats, sneaking aboard my ship?”

Shido stared down at the group with a cold, golden gaze as he smirked.

“No matter. You’re here to file a complaint, I assume? Go on, then. I’ll hear you out. Though….” Shido’s eyes scanned the group proper, before coming to rest on Akechi. “I see. So you’ve finally shown your true colors, boy?”

Akechi smiled thinly. “Please, don’t act surprised. You wouldn’t have had that…  _ countermeasure _ in place if you didn’t know this would happen eventually.”

“Ah, yes,” Shido sneered. “And just like the failure he was modeled after, it seems he couldn’t see his job through to its proper completion either.”

Akira preemptively stepped forward, not trusting Akechi to remain calm for long, and all eyes in the room fell on the leader of the Phantom Thieves as he glared up at Shido.

“Enough. We’re past the point of wasting our breath on you, Shido--I know better than anyone that no matter what we say, you will never see the error of your ways until we’ve taken you down.”

Akira pulled out his dagger, twirling the blade in one smooth movement as he gripped the hilt tightly in his hand, a silent signal for his team to ready themselves.

One long-winded speech from Shido that Akira had heard over a dozen times, a round of applause from the cognitions in the stands, and the preparation of a new stage later… the fight against the final palace ruler began.

* * *

He had to give credit where credit was due: Akechi was holding it together much more than Akira had expected him to.

Granted, he had a feeling that things would have been different if Akechi had been forced to stay on the sidelines and watch instead of actively being a part of fighting Shido, but the fact of the matter still stood. At the very least, even if Akechi wasn’t going out of his way to cooperate his attacks with the rest of the team’s, he wasn’t ruining Akira’s plans and formations in any way either, which Akira marked as a small victory.

Where he’d expected Akechi to go off the rails and fly at Shido in a murderous rage over the smallest of jabs--or even just at the sight of Shido’s shadow--Akechi instead continuously surprised him by shrugging off any insult that Shido had to throw at him with a look that suggested he’d probably heard worse from Shido himself, or at least suspected that Shido thought of him as such.

Of course, that composure could only last for so long.

With the battle taking much longer than he ever could have anticipated, even with Akechi’s added power, everyone’s nerves were completely on-edge as exhaustion wore them down--and none more so than Akira and Akechi, who were on the front lines from the very start of the fight.

And then Shido brought up the one subject that could get under Akechi’s skin, as if biding his time for just the right moment to use his trump card: Akechi’s mother.

Akira barely had time to react in the short time between Shido mockingly talking about Akechi’s mother--about how much of an easy bitch she was and how he knew exactly who Akechi was from the beginning just from how much he looked like her--and Akechi’s violent reaction, but he managed to tackle Akechi to the ground before the now-black masked Persona user could force Shido into a psychotic breakdown.

“Get the  _ hell _ over yourself and focus, Crow,” Akira hissed as he kept Akechi pinned. “We’re here to make him beg for forgiveness, not to drive him insane. If you want to have your little familial spat with him, do it while you’re both in jail and  _ not _ when you’re at risk of ruining everything you’ve worked for--and more importantly, everything  _ I’ve _ worked for.”

Akechi growled under his breath as he glared venomously at Akira, but at the very least the shift in targets for Akechi’s anger ironically helped him calm down enough to recall Loki and switch back to Robin Hood’s white outfit.

“Selfish as always, I see,” Akechi replied curtly, rising back to his feet as soon as Akira moved off of him and noting with a hint of annoyance that Ryuji and Yusuke had been covering the two of them to assure that none of Shido’s attacks reached them.

Akira shot him a look. “You are the absolute  _ last _ person I want to hear that from. Now focus, he only has one form left after this.”

Akechi ripped his mask off of his face. “I’m not taking orders from you.  _ Robin Hood! _ ”

“In case you didn't notice, I’m the  _ leader _ here,” Akira responded with an annoyed frown as he pulled off his own mask. “ _ Vishnu! _ ”

“Guys, this  _ really _ ain’t the time to be fighting!” Ryuji shouted back at them, his attention forcefully being returned to the fight as he stumbled in the wake of Yusuke suddenly yanking him out of the way of an attack. He nodded his thanks to him as soon as he regained his balance before glancing back at Akira and Akechi, groaning as he saw them irritatedly glaring at one another.

He knew their tempers were both frayed from the exhaustion of the long fight, not to mention just having to be near each other for an extended period of time, but couldn’t they save this shit for later?

“Oh yes, my mistake, oh wise and powerful  _ leader _ ,” Akechi sneered, completely ignoring both Ryuji and the ongoing fight in front of them. “Let me mindlessly follow your every command to assure your perfect future comes to pass.”

“Well you’re already pretty damn good at mindlessly following commands, aren’t you? That should be right up your alley,” Akira shot right back, smirking as Akechi bristled at the admittedly below the belt jab.

“ **_Joker, Crow! Focus!! Shido’s about to--_ ** ”

In unison, Akira and Akechi turned to face Shido with matching expressions of irritation, Robin Hood and Vishnu firing off twin Eigaons to stop Shido’s attack in its tracks before returning their glares to one another.

“As if you don’t know anything about mindlessly following after someone,” Akechi scoffed, seamlessly picking up as if they hadn’t been interrupted. “You follow after your precious  _ boyfriend _ like a pathetic goldfish trail--”

“Oh don’t even go there, Mr. _Oh my, did I just_ ** _happen_** _to show up at LeBlanc while you were working_ ** _again_** _?_ ” Akira mockingly imitated Akechi’s voice as he spoke. “ _Oh, what’s this,_ ** _you_** _frequent this store as well? What a coincidence! My, I seem to be running into you quite often, it must be fate!_ ”

Akechi sputtered, his face flushing in indignation. “Need I remind you that more than half of those times were orchestrated by  _ your _ underhanded planning? And I never  _ once _ said that, you no good piece of--”

Another attack from Shido forced the two to cut their argument short, jumping with reflexes sharpened by lingering irritation to avoid the hit before landing next to one another.

“Crow?”

“Yes, Joker?”

Akira crushed his mask in his hand, blue flames dancing around his glove. “I’m getting real sick and tired of Shido’s crap.”

Akechi removed his own mask, his eyes narrowed in annoyance as he glared at his father, who seemed to be enjoying that he’d finally gotten under Akechi’s skin and shaken the team’s formation. “Agreed. We can save our disagreement for a later date.”

“About fuckin’ time!” Ryuji called out to the two of them, summoning Seiten Taisei to land another heavy hit on the irritating tank of a shadow. “Now let’s finish this bastard off already!”

Falling back into formation, Akira pushed any lingering ire aside in favor of slipping back into his position as leader, pouring all of his focus into guiding his team towards taking down Shido’s final two forms.

* * *

It was only when Shido had finally been defeated that Akechi’s composure cracked once more, though thankfully Akira had at least been in part prepared for it.

Akechi had wanted to see Shido groveling at his feet, and he got his wish: Shido was on his hands and knees, head pressed against the floor as he begged for forgiveness from these children whose lives he’d so thoroughly and callously ruined, from his own son that he’d used as a tool and had planned to toss away without a second thought--

Akechi pulled out his gun at the same time as Akira, the former pointing it at the pathetic shell of a man at his feet and the latter taking steady aim at the one person who could ruin everything he’d worked so hard for in an instant.

“Drop your gun, Crow.” Akira narrowed his eyes coldly, and he didn’t even have to glance behind him to know that his team was ready to jump into another fight if need be, their exhaustion be damned. “You know this isn’t what we came here to do.”

“And who says that I have to follow your naively optimistic agenda?” Akechi took the safety off of his gun without moving his gaze away from Shido. “I came here for  _ revenge _ , not to play nice. For all that he’s done to countless people in this country, a mental shutdown would be--”

“It would be letting him take the easy way out,” Akira sharply cut him off. “You would still be letting him win, because he would never have to take responsibility for anything that he did--including what he’s done to you and what he did to your mother.”

There was a long, tense silence in which no one dared to so much as breathe, let alone move--and when it was finally broken, it was by something no one expected.

Shido’s shadow seemed to glitch, flickering before their eyes and letting out a pained shout before suddenly disappearing in a burst of shadows.

Akira paled, hardly even realizing as his arm dropped limply to his side in shock. No, this wasn’t supposed to happen, he took all the necessary precautions to make  _ sure _ this wouldn’t happen--

The palace began to collapse around them, even more rapidly than Akira could remember, and he only managed to snap out of his shocked stupor by the sound of Morgana’s frantic voice.

“Grab the treasure and  _ run!! _ ”

Yusuke snatched the steering wheel from where it hovered, and the group sped out of the room as fast as their legs would take them, narrowly avoiding cracks in the floors and collapsing pieces of the upper levels of the ship.

“Joker, what’s going on?” Makoto asked sharply. “Why did the palace start collapsing before we took the treasure?”

“Shido, he-- he shouldn’t have been able to, I already changed the hearts of all of his researchers, there should have been no one left to--”

Akira winced at the exclamations aimed his way as everyone whirled on him, demanding to know what he was talking about and when he’d done this and why he never told them and--

A hand roughly grabbing him by the front of his coat snapped his mind out of the panicked spiral it was quickly beginning to descend into, and he tensed and bristled as he saw Akechi glaring at him.

“You find new ways to astound me, Joker--and I assure you, I mean that in the worst way possible.” Akechi kept speaking before Akira could so much as open his mouth to try and defend himself. “You really thought that you could outwit Shido on your own, and now your arrogance may have cost us all our lives.”

“... His researchers, they-- they used Wakaba’s research to make… something--some sort of medicine, or  _ something _ that Shido used to force his palace to collapse. I thought I could--”

Akira cut off as the ground beneath them shook from another explosion, water beginning to rapidly flood the halls, and Ryuji took that opportunity to pull Akira away from Akechi.

“Look, we don’t got time for any of this, alright? We can straighten out the details  _ after _ we get the hell out of here!”

“But how can we even get out of here? The path we came from is already blocked off!” Ann pointed out.

“I-I’m trying to find another pathway, just--” Futaba winced at the sound of another explosion, her hands shaking as she swiped through holographic screen after holographic screen frantically.

Akira knew what he had to do. He knew what was coming next, what he’d been so desperate to avoid, deluding himself into thinking that he would be able to prevent the risk from needing to be taken to begin with….

His legs felt like lead. His throat felt like it was closing up when he tried to speak.

He couldn’t risk losing Ryuji, he  _ couldn’t _ \--

But if he didn’t, then they were all going to die.

What choice did he have?

“I know how we can get out.”

Akira’s voice sounded distant to his ears, his body moving on autopilot as he led his team through the ship, around obstacles and blocked off paths until they reached outside.

The lifeboat came into view in the distance, and Akira felt sick to his stomach.

He could faintly hear everyone in the background, trying to figure out what to do next and how to get to the lifeboat before the ship sunk with them on it--he didn’t have to pay attention, not he’d heard the same conversation before, too many times before, and he knew what was coming next.

“I got this.”

Akira snapped back to attention and grabbed Ryuji’s arm, preventing him from moving. “No.”

Ryuji looked back at him, startled, before shooting him a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine, I promise.”

Except Ryuji couldn’t promise that, Akira  _ knew _ he couldn’t, and--

“Ryuji,  _ please _ , you can’t--” Akira tightened his grip on Ryuji’s arm frantically, his body beginning to shake with panic. “I can’t… I can’t let you do this,  _ please _ don’t do this, I’ll go instead, just--”

Akira’s frantic rambling was cut off by the feeling of lips pressing against his own, and while the action would have normally calmed him, it instead made him feel sick to his stomach as his mind twisted the action into a final, farewell kiss.

Before Akira realized what he was doing, Ryuji had gently pulled Akira’s hand off of his arm and hopped onto the outer wall of the ship, balancing in a crouch as he prepared to sprint towards the lifeboat.

“Sorry, Akira. There’s no time to waste, and you ‘n’ I both know I’m the fastest runner we’ve got.” He shot another grin over his shoulder. “Just trust me. I promise I’ll make it there in time, and I’ll get us all out of here. Everything’ll be alright.”

He looked so confident, that for a moment Akira actually believed everything  _ would _ end up alright.

Yet that didn’t stop him from anxiously holding his breath as Ryuji ran, jumped, and climbed all the way to the latch, grabbing onto it and pulling to drop the lifeboat down to the rest of the group, who rushed to move off of the rapidly-sinking ship and onto their one method of escape.

As they boarded the lifeboat, Akira could feel Ryuji’s gaze, watching them--and when he looked up, the familiar grin and thumbs up made his heart sink.

There was still a chance, Akira tried to tell himself. Still a chance that everything would be fine, that Ryuji could safely drop down onto the lifeboat and leave with them, that he could get through this alive and in one piece.

He had to.

* * *

Ryuji met Akira’s eyes, and despite the smiles and cheers from the rest of their friends, despite Ryuji having successfully gotten the lifeboat to them in time and assured their safety, there was still a lingering fear in Akira’s gaze that made Ryuji’s heart drop.

Akira… hadn’t been worried about him not being able to make it to the lifeboat safely, had he.

The realization came with a slow, nauseating feeling of dread, a cold sweat beginning to work its way down the back of his neck.

If that hadn’t been what Akira was so afraid of, then what--

There was a painfully loud noise, a searing heat, and suddenly everything went black.

* * *

Ryuji was gone.

In one instant, Akira’s entire world shattered around him.

He hardly even registered them returning to the real world, hardly registered himself collapsing to his knees, hardly registered the voices and sobbing from his friends.

All his mind could focus on was that Ryuji was  _ gone _ .

His hope, his light, his  _ everything _ \--what was the point in going on without him? There was no future without Ryuji, not one that Akira wanted any part of.

Logically, he knew that there was a chance--a very small chance--that Ryuji had survived, yet he couldn’t manage to muster up enough optimism to hold on to that thought for long. He’d been through this scenario enough times to know that Ryuji surviving the very first time had been sheer luck, something that couldn’t possibly happen twice.

There was nothing guaranteeing that the same miracle would happen again. Akira had enough memories of finding Ryuji’s broken, lifeless body in the wake of the explosion to know what the most likely outcome would be.

In a daze, he shakily slipped his hand into his pocket, hardly even registering his own actions as his hand closed around his sharp, model dagger.

Just like all the others, this timeline was hopeless. There was no point in seeing it through to completion.

Next time, he wouldn’t allow himself to get his hopes up. He wouldn’t allow himself to get so attached. He couldn’t, not when it hurt so badly to lose what he’d finally gained after so long.

The moonlight hit the metal of the dagger as it left his pocket, the slight gleam of the weapon the only warning the universe was willing to give to anyone who noticed.

Next time--

There was a flurry of sudden noise--surprised shouts, heavy footfalls, a voice calling his name above all the rest--before Akira suddenly felt himself being tackled, arms thrown around him with enough force to send the two bodies collapsing backwards into the floor.

“Akira, Akira what the  _ fuck _ \--”

Akira blinked slowly, taking in the shaking boy just barely hovering over him with hardly a few inches between their faces.

“You’re dead.”

Two words, murmured in a detached tone with an empty gaze to match, was all it took for Ryuji to recoil like he’d been punched--but he quickly forced himself to snap out of it as he sat up and pulled Akira with him into another hug.

“I’m  _ alive _ ,” he declared strongly: for Akira, for himself, for all his shaken friends who had been grieving him before their grief had turned to panic.

He would apologize to them all later. Akira needed him right now--and from the way none of them approached him despite obviously wanting to confirm his words for themselves, he knew that they understood.

Still, Ryuji couldn’t help how his stomach turned with fear as Akira didn’t respond. Not to Ryuji easing the dagger out of his grip, not to him putting Akira’s hand over his chest to show that his heart was still beating, not even to the kiss that he pressed to Akira’s lips in teary desperation.

“Akira… please,  _ look at me _ …,” he choked out, staring into Akira’s vacant gaze. “I’m here, I’m  _ alive _ , I’m-- I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, I’m sorry I scared you, but everything’s  _ okay _ , I swear.”

No response again: it was as if Akira had completely shut down, and Ryuji was, for once, at a complete loss for what to do to bring Akira back out of his head.

He’d found everyone just in time to stop Akira from doing something that could never be taken back, but what good was it if Akira’s body was still alive but his mind wasn’t?

No, this wasn’t permanent, Ryuji couldn’t think like that. There had to be  _ something _ he could do to snap Akira out of it and make him realize that he was really here, alive and in front of him instead of whatever ghost he was seeing--

Ryuji swallowed thickly.

Maybe… maybe he was going about this the wrong way. Instead of forcefully pulling Akira out of his head, maybe he had to let Akira ease his way back out on his own.

“Akira… talk to me.” No matter how much he didn’t want to hear what Akira was about to say, he would soldier through it if it meant bringing Akira back. “Tell me what you’re seeing, and I’ll show you that it’s all just in your head.”

A few seconds passed, in which Ryuji feared that not even this would work, before Akira slowly lifted his arm and touched his fingers first to Ryuji’s forehead, then to the back of his head.

“You were thrown out of the Metaverse by the force of the explosion,” Akira murmured hollowly, trailing his fingers down to Ryuji’s neck and doing the same--lightly resting his fingers against the front of Ryuji’s throat before tracing them around to rest against the back. “The angle of trajectory was different each time. You landed on the fence of the Diet Building.”

Against his will, Ryuji’s gaze traveled over to said fence, his face paling as he eyed the spikes on top.

It didn’t take a genius to match Akira’s words with his touches, mapping out where each spike had no doubt pierced his body as his fingers trailed down the front and back of his chest.

Swallowing his nausea, Ryuji forced out, “You can feel it for yourself, right? Those… those injuries, they’re not there.”

Akira didn’t respond, instead moving his hand up to the back of Ryuji’s head as he murmured, “You landed outside the Diet Building. We found you with blood pooled around your head from the landing.”

Ryuji recalled hardly a few minutes ago, when he’d nervously laughed to himself after waking up and rubbing the back of his head, feeling slightly bruised but acknowledging that he could have cracked his head open on the concrete if he wasn’t lucky.

Apparently he was luckier than he realized.

“There’s no blood,” Ryuji replied, taking Akira’s hand and bringing it back in front of his face to show him. “See?”

Again, Ryuji received no response, but there was the slightest hint of a sheen in Akira’s eyes and the slightest hint of tightening in his voice when he next opened his mouth that spoke volumes on its own.

“You landed at a bad angle, one time.” Akira moved both hands to loosely wrap around Ryuji’s throat--not pressing, but merely feeling. “Your neck snapped on impact. You were dead by the time we found you.”

Ryuji shakily put his hands over Akira’s, trying to keep his breathing steady. “My neck’s fine, though. See?”

Slowly but surely, Ryuji could see Akira beginning to break down as he disproved every phantom fatal injury he was seeing. He just had to hold on for a bit longer, just keep pushing a bit more, then he could go home and let himself get sick and push aside the thought of just how narrowly he’d escaped one of the many horrific, gruesome deaths he’d apparently been through in other timelines--

“You didn’t survive the explosion itself,” Akira continued with a bit of shakiness to his voice, trailing his fingers along Ryuji’s waist, and Ryuji had to fight back another wave of nausea at the picture Akira’s next words painted combined with the clear path his fingers were tracing along his skin. “Only… only part of you even made it back to the real world, if even that much. That was the most common outcome. Sometimes only a limb or two survived the explosion intact.” Trailing his hands up to Ryuji’s face, he added, “And the times when enough of your body did make it back, you were often burnt beyond recognition.”

The shaky sobs Ryuji heard behind him were the only indication that the world around himself and Akira hadn’t disappeared, and he could only assume that they were taking all of these mental images just about as well as he was.

As guilty as it made him feel, though, it just brought Akira’s situation into sharper focus: if it was this nauseating and this heart-wrenching to just listen to the pictures Akira was painting for them, then he couldn’t even begin to imagine having to physically see these things for himself, having to have these vivid images burned into his memory along with god-knows what other horrors he’d seen over the past hundred years.

Ryuji hugged Akira to him tightly, his breath hitching as he fought back a sob. “I’m sorry,” he choked out. “God, Akira, I… I’m sorry. I love you, I’m here, I’m alive and I swear you’ll never have to go through something so horrible ever again--”

A moment passed before Ryuji finally,  _ finally _ felt Akira’s hands gripping the back of his shirt, Akira’s face moving to press in the crook of Ryuji’s neck.

“You’re… you’re really alive…?” Akira breathed out shakily--and as soon as Ryuji nodded, it was like a dam inside Akira broke, sobs wracking his body as he clung to Ryuji and thanked every god that would listen for keeping Ryuji alive.

Akira should have known by now that Ryuji was a walking miracle, Akira’s hope given physical form. If any Ryuji in any timeline would survive against the odds, of course it would be the one in front of him, who was continuing to challenge fate every single day for Akira’s sake just by staying by his side.

He pulled out of the hug just enough to crush his lips against Ryuji’s, desperate to sear the reminder that Ryuji was alive and well into his mind--and though Ryuji was initially startled by the sudden fervent kiss, he was quick to return the kiss, as if responding to Akira’s self-reassurances with a wordless reassurance of his own.

It left Akira more than a little dazed by the time they pulled apart for air, but he welcomed the feeling as much as he welcomed the slight soreness in his body from Ryuji’s tight hug.

“I’m sorry,” Akira murmured hoarsely, after resting in Ryuji’s arms for a minute longer. “I never… I wanted to try and keep those kinds of details from all of you.”

Ryuji shook his head. “Don’t apologize. I can’t imagine the kinds of things you’ve seen, if everything you mentioned was just one small part of it… but you don’t have to keep things from us. It’s-- well, it ain’t exactly pleasant to hear, but I’d much rather you talk to us about it if it starts getting to you again instead of just bottling it up and shutting down, y’know?” He kissed the top of Akira’s head and added, “I keep telling you, you’ve gotta trust us and let us in a bit. You don’t have to shoulder everything on your own.”

Akira winced guiltily as he belatedly recalled everyone’s reactions on the ship. “I-- sorry. I’m trying, I really am, but sometimes I just… I don’t know, I got so used to doing everything on my own that I just….” He shook his head slightly. “No, I can’t make excuses. Goro was right, I put everyone in danger because I thought I could outsmart Shido on my own.” 

He reluctantly turned his gaze away from Ryuji, lifting his head to look at the rest of his friends who were hanging back and watching the two of them.

“I’m sorry, everyone. This was… it was something I’d been doing for months now, ever since I first told Ryuji about the timelines--I knew it would take time to track down Shido’s head researchers in Mementos, especially when I had to wait for some of the doors in Mementos to unlock in order to go down far enough to find them, and….” Akira dropped his gaze, unconsciously tightening his hold on Ryuji as he forced himself to continue to speak. “And part of me just didn’t want to talk about what I knew would happen here, not when I was finally starting to feel hopeful about this timeline. I was deluding myself into thinking that everything would go smoothly, and that delusion kept growing the more things went right.”

“There’s nothing wrong with holding onto hope for a better future.” Morgana was the first among the group to speak up, walking over to Akira and nuzzling against his leg. “I do agree that you should have told us about everything that could have happened, regardless of what countermeasures you’d already taken, but all that matters now is that we succeeded: we’re all alive, and we stole Shido’s treasure. You even prevented Crow from causing Shido to have a psychotic breakdown.”

“That’s true,” Ann added, walking over to Akira and Ryuji and dropping to her knees to wrap her arms around both of them. “Not that I’m not still mad at the two of you for being idiots and scaring the hell out of all of us--because I am--but shouldn’t we be celebrating right now?”

“Yeah!” Futaba piled on the hug next, though Akira could tell from the slight shaking in her body and the redness in her eyes that she was forcing herself to act more cheerful than she felt. “Seriously, what’s with this gloomy atmosphere? We beat the final boss!”

“Actually… that wasn’t the final boss.”

Akira winced slightly as he was met with seven stares, their looks ranging from stunned to demanding answers. “Sorry, should I, uh… should I have waited for us to celebrate before bringing that up?”

Makoto sighed. “No, we wanted you to be forthcoming with us, so it’s for the best that you brought it up sooner rather than later--but who else could there possibly be that’s in a higher position of power than even  _ Shido _ …?”

Akira bit his lip, debating what to say and how much information he could reveal, but before he could so much as open his mouth to reply, Ryuji beat him to the punch.

“Don’t you think it’d be better to save this talk for tomorrow? I dunno about all of you, but I’m beat.”

Futaba nodded in agreement, leaning against Akira and Ryuji more heavily as she groaned. “I wasn’t even fighting and I feel like my HP is almost at 0. Can we just… I dunno, go home and sleep now, celebrate tomorrow, then talk about serious stuff after that?”

“Yes, I believe a night of rest and a day’s celebration would do us all well,” Yusuke added. “It would be foolish of us to rush from one peril to the next without taking time in between to commemorate our success.”

“We could meet up tomorrow at LeBlanc, maybe?” Ann suggested, smiling and lightly nudging Akira as she added, “You could make things up to us with some homemade curry and coffee.”

“Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea!” Haru agreed, smiling as she turned slightly to glance at Makoto. “Don’t you think so too, Mako-chan?”

Makoto flushed lightly under her gaze, any protests that she’d had in mind immediately dying on her tongue. “Well… I suppose it couldn’t hurt to get a little celebrating in before we jump straight into another mission,” she conceded.

“Then it’s decided!” Ann declared with a grin.

Akira smiled as an idea suddenly occurred to him. “Actually, I’ll do you all one better than just hanging out and having curry and coffee, though I don’t mind doing that too,” he said. “But you’ll have to give me until this weekend to get everything set up.”

Ryuji couldn’t help but laugh as he got a good look at Akira’s face. “You’re planning super extra again, aren’t you.”

“Maybe,” Akira replied innocently, before adding in a more sincere tone, “but I think you all deserve it, especially after everything that happened tonight.”

“Whatever you’re planning had better be super amazing!” Futaba declared, poking Akira in the side and grinning impishly as he squirmed.

Anticipating the attack against his boyfriend’s sides, Ryuji moved his arms to block Futaba’s hands, sticking his tongue out at her when she huffed and pouted.

“Only I get to tickle Akira,” Ryuji declared.

“My hero,” Akira replied dryly, cracking a smile as Ryuji snickered and kissed his cheek.

“If you all are quite finished,” Makoto interrupted, though there was a hint of amusement in her expression as she watched the group that was still kneeling on the floor in a pile. “We should really get moving, before someone notices a group of teenagers loitering in front of the Diet Building.”

“Oh yeah, that prolly won’t end well,” Ryuji agreed with a grimace, rising to his feet and pulling Akira up with him once Ann and Futaba moved off of them. “Guess we should all go our separate ways then, huh.”

Akira was about to agree when a thought occurred to him--he was so used to Akechi not being around after Shido was dealt with that he hadn’t even realized that he was missing. “Did Goro already leave?”

“Oh, now that you mention it….” Ann looked around in confusion. “Wasn’t he here before?”

“I believe I recall him walking off while we were…  _ preoccupied _ ,” Yusuke responded, and though he had attempted to be delicate in his phrasing, even just the reminder of Ryuji’s close brush with death and Akira’s subsequent breakdown was enough to make the majority of the group wince.

Ryuji rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, he’s, uh… he’s actually the one that found me,” he confessed, much to the surprise of his friends. “Told me to hurry back over to you guys--in that usual pompous-ass way of his, I mean. He looked more annoyed than worried, but he did say that you’d probably do something stupid if I didn’t move it, so….”

He frowned slightly, feeling annoyed that Akechi’s deduction had been correct--detective or not, it just didn’t sit well with him that Akechi could read Akira so well when it had taken Ryuji months just to start being able to pick up on all of Akira’s tells.

As if sensing where Ryuji’s thoughts were headed, Akira gave his hand a light squeeze. “It’s fine, I was just curious. I’m surprised that he would go out of his way like that, though I guess it makes more sense than him standing around and watching us cry,” he added with a weak laugh, before quickly moving on, knowing that everyone--including and especially himself--would rather not dwell on that moment of fear and grief that had gripped them. “Anyway, we should really get going. I’m technically not even supposed to be out in public right now.” With a sheepish grin in Haru’s direction, he asked, “Would you mind…?”

“Not at all,” Haru replied, giving him a smile in return before taking out her phone and calling for two private cars. She turned her attention back over to the group after hanging up the phone. “I figured it would be best if we all got a ride home instead of taking the train at this hour, especially given what a long night it’s been. Yusuke, Ann, do you two mind sharing a car with myself and Mako-chan?”

“Not at all,” Yusuke replied. “I greatly appreciate the offer.”

“Yeah, thanks Haru! Getting a ride back home’s way better than trying to take the train this late at night,” Ann said.

Futaba gave an exaggerated grimace. “Ugh, that means Mona and I are stuck with the lovebirds? Gross.”

Akira rolled his eyes in fond amusement. “We’ll keep the PDA to a minimum, I promise.”

Ryuji grinned, slipping an arm around Akira’s waist and kissing his cheek before saying, “Depends on what you mean by ‘minimum,’ though.”

“ _ Ughhhh. _ ”

Though Futaba groaned in protest, there was an obvious smile tugging at the corners of her lips, which made Akira’s own smile widen in response, his heart feeling light as he leaned against Ryuji’s side.

Everything was alright now: Ryuji was alive and unharmed, Shido’s treasure had been successfully stolen, and everyone was in much better spirits as they smiled and laughed amongst themselves.

It was only when the two cars arrived and the group split up, with Ryuji and Futaba getting in the backseat of one of the cars with him in the middle and Morgana sitting on Futaba’s lap, that Akira belatedly realized that there had been some sort of unspoken, unanimous decision for Ryuji to spend the night with him at LeBlanc instead of going home.

It was a bit embarrassing that his friends had realized what he needed before he’d even thought to ask, but it also made his heart swell with gratitude and love for every last one of them.

Akira leaned against Ryuji for the entirety of the car ride, with Futaba nodding off against his side and Morgana already curled up and fast asleep, exhausted from carrying the bulk of the healing during the long fight.

When the car came to a stop outside the Sakura household, Akira turned to wake Futaba up, only to find her watching him with a slightly subdued and pensive expression.

“Are you going to be okay?” she asked quietly, so quietly that Akira would have imagined it if he hadn’t seen her lips move.

He could feel the weight of the question just from looking into her eyes, and he felt his previous guilt returning full-force as he turned to pull her into a hug.

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” he murmured. “I’ll… I’ll be okay, I promise.”

“... ‘kay. Just, um….” Futaba hugged Akira back as she mumbled, “Just remember, you’ve got us too, okay? Not just him.”

Akira’s expression softened. “I know. Thank you.”

Futaba pulled back to search his face for sincerity before nodding in satisfaction, and she gave him a smile, carefully picking Morgana up and holding him as she bid the couple goodnight and exited the car.

Once she was gone, Akira let out a quiet breath and leaned back against the seat, his expression clouding over once more with lingering guilt.

He’d never meant to put his friends through so much grief, never meant to worry them or scare them, and certainly never meant to divulge so many gruesome details that they had no need to know about.

Somehow, it felt like the closer he got to the end of this perfect timeline, the more he found himself tripping up and making stupid mistakes: letting his emotions get the best of him, acting irrationally, putting himself and others in unnecessary danger… it was almost like he was trying to sabotage himself, and the thought would have been laughable if he didn’t know how the universe--and Yaldabaoth--was pretty much feeding off of his misery.

Akira was pulled from his thoughts by a hand grasping his own, and he turned his attention over to Ryuji only to find him getting out of the car in front of LeBlanc. Murmuring an apology, Akira allowed Ryuji to help him out of the car, just barely remembering to thank the driver before closing the door behind him and watching the car pull away.

Arms wrapped around him from behind as soon as they were alone, and Akira leaned into them without hesitance, allowing his eyes to drift closed as he soaked in the feeling of his boyfriend’s (warm, strong,  _ alive _ ) body pressed up against his.

“You said you were okay,” Ryuji said quietly, his chin resting on Akira’s shoulder, “but that was a lie, wasn’t it.”

“I said I  _ will _ be okay.”

“Which means you’re not okay right now.”

Akira hesitated before reluctantly shaking his head, turning in Ryuji’s hold so he could bury his face in the crook of Ryuji’s neck. “I’m….” His voice cracked along with his composure as he tightened his grip on the back of Ryuji’s shirt. “I’m not okay.”

There was a pause, in which Akira thought Ryuji would say something--about what he’d almost done, about how he’d shut down, about all of the horrible deaths that he’d had to witness over the past hundred years--but instead of breaking the silence, Ryuji merely pulled back enough to press his lips against Akira’s, and Akira found tension that he hadn’t even realized was in his body in the first place drain away in response.

Whether Ryuji had held his tongue because he realized Akira wasn’t in any condition to talk, or because he himself was too drained and too shaken for what would no doubt need to be a long and serious discussion, Akira wasn’t sure. Regardless, he was just as grateful for the decision to let the matter drop as he was for Ryuji’s diversion back when everyone had been silently pressing him for answers about the “final boss” that he was reluctant to discuss.

It was almost scary how well Ryuji had become able to read him in the span of just a few months.

“Let’s go get some sleep,” Ryuji suggested after pulling back slightly, his soft expression just barely hiding traces of exhaustion.

Akira nodded in response as he took out his keys and unlocked the door so they could go inside, looking forward to getting some rest after a physically, mentally, and emotionally draining night.

He thought that sleep would escape him, with so many terrible memories that he’d worked so hard to repress now at the forefront of his mind, yet all it took was Ryuji pulling Akira against him--with Akira’s head resting on Ryuji’s chest, the steady beating of Ryuji’s heart reaching Akira’s ear--before Akira’s eyes began drifting closed.

Ryuji observed Akira’s peaceful expression with a small smile, his fingers absentmindedly running through Akira’s hair as he used his free hand to grab for his phone. He was reluctant to risk waking Akira up after he’d just fallen asleep, but if he kept quiet….

He lifted the phone to his ear, just barely stopping a relieved sigh from slipping out as his call was answered after the first ring.

“Hey ma, sorry for calling so late,” he began, keeping a careful eye on Akira to make sure he didn’t stir from his sleep. “Yeah-- no, I’m fine, I promise. Just wanted to let you know I’m staying over Akira’s again.” His weak smile faded as he paused, hesitating as he felt a lump building in his throat before forcing out, “Hey ma, y’know… y’know I love you, right?” He laughed weakly as he heard the clear concern in her tone. “Sorry, I just… I’m fine, I promise. Just felt like saying it, that’s all. Night, ma.”

Ryuji hung up as soon as his mother said goodnight, before letting out a shuddering sigh as he tightened his grip on his phone.

He’d almost died.

No, more than that--he’d only survived by sheer  _ luck _ .

It wasn’t like all the fights that they had against all the powerful Shadows: those were dangerous, but there was still an element of control. He had his teammates, there was Futaba on support and plenty of people to rush to heal him if even if he got hurt.

It was probably stupid of him, but he’d never thought any of them could seriously  _ die _ doing this, let alone him.

Akira’s words kept replaying in his mind, and Ryuji could almost feel the phantom pains of fatal wounds he’d never received. The heat from the explosion had been intense, but he’d already been blasted far away enough that it hadn’t done much more than singe a bit of his hair and clothes--but what if he’d been just a bit closer? What if he’d been shot out of the Metaverse with just a bit more force? What if he’d landed in a different spot, or if his body had hit the ground in a different way?

There were so many ways it could have gone horribly wrong, and normally Ryuji wasn’t one to dwell on what-ifs, but it was hard not to when he knew that those “what-ifs” were things that had actually happened right before Akira’s eyes.

Who even knew how many times Akira had seen him die? Who knew how many times Akira had seen  _ any _ of them die? How many timelines had Akira given up on because he’d lost one of them?

Ryuji remembered spotting Akira with his dagger in his hand and a blank look in his eyes, and a wave of nausea washed over him.

What if he’d taken just a split-second longer to make it back to everyone?

(He knew the answer to that too--because that also was a “what-if” that had happened in other timelines, though Ryuji couldn’t bring himself to dwell on the thought for long.)

Ryuji turned his gaze back down to Akira’s sleeping face, and let out another shaky sigh.

At least one of them would be getting some sleep tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will definitely be a lot more lighthearted and fluffy than this one, I promise ;_; I hope it was enjoyable regardless, and I'm going to do my best to try and keep up a steady pace now that there's only 4 chapters left! ^^


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